The promise of intelligent objects — from shoes that tell you not only how many calories you’ve burned but when it’s time for a new pair, to sensor networks in your lawn that tell your sprinkler system exactly when and where to direct water — has been slow in coming. However, it seems like we’re finally there, in the form of the IoT, or the Internet of Things.

By now, I expect that you’re familiar with the android David in the sci-fi film Prometheus. David exemplifies near perfection — the ability to speak and understand language, an apparently perfect humanoid body, the ability to effectively lie and deceive, and a sense of self-preservation. What the film failed to reveal, however, was whether David was ticklish.

Need a generic desk and chair by tomorrow morning? Head to IKEA. Want to learn cabinet making so that you can make a custom desk and chairs? Then get to work planning and stocking your workshop.

There’s nothing like prototyping to get the creative juices flowing. Sure, you can work out a robot design on paper or in a 3D CAD program, but there’s something missing. Perhaps it’s the tactile feedback, the ability to instantly and instinctively unplug one component and substitute another. Or, the ability to perform ‘illegal’ operations, such as mangling a connector to make it mate with a device not made to spec. It’s hard to innovate — that is, create something new — if it has to first be defined in a software package. For example, I have yet to see the equivalent of gaffer’s tape in a robot simulator or CAD program.

Experimenting with robotics — for the most of us — is a ‘nice to have’ activity that is stimulating, challenging, and rewarding on several fronts. Unless you’re fortunate enough to work with robotics as a career, components and platforms are not a ‘must have’ when the end of the month rolls around and it’s time to budget expenses for your next project. So, it’s tempting to cut corners here and there in order to stretch available funds. However, there’s a limit to cutting because at some point, you’ll limit the possible success of your project.

Science fiction authors have contemplated limiting the lifespan of autonomous robots for the good of humankind — take the replicants in Blade Runner that are engineered to have a four year lifespan and the replicators in Stargate SG-1 that have an unlimited lifespan. The conclusion seems to be that while individual autonomous beings naturally desire to live forever, such a condition is incompatible with humanity. Our resources — and eventually our autonomy — would be usurped by our robots which self-replicate themselves into superior entities.

The successful landing of NASA’s Curiosity on Mars is arguably the most significant robotics event of the decade. Not only have the stunning photographs at Bradbury Landing and the back story of the mission captured the imaginations of thousands of future scientists and engineers, but the value of robotics has been demonstrated to the public.

The pioneers in robotics faced and overcame numerous challenges. For example, if they wanted to develop, say, a new navigation algorithm, they had to first build a hardware platform. They couldn’t simply go online and decide between dozens of off-the-shelf flying, swimming, crawling, and walking robotics platforms.

Robots are supposed to be great for the dirty, dull, and dangerous. Then on the flip side, for companionship and help around the house. However, it’s easy to forget that robots can be perceived as — and sometimes are themselves — dangerous. It’s something to consider when you work with robots around non-enthusiasts and when you’re designing your next platform.

The field of robotics wouldn’t be where it is today without the work of bright, dedicated scientists and engineers. The best of the best contributors to robotics are recognized by the annual IEEE Robotics and Automation Award.

If you’re a fan of Blade Runner, Battle Star Galactica, Alien, Terminator, or Prometheus, then you know that — at least for most people — the pinnacle of robotics is much more than a walking and talking tin can. The robots featured in these and other Sci-Fi classics certainly pass the Touring Test: a necessary but inadequate measure of how closely a robot resembles a human.

Amazon’s commitment to acquire Kiva Systems for $775M this past March traveled like a shockwave through the robotics industry. Finally — a commercial application of a mobile robotic platform made the big time. I’m not talking about the occasional mail delivery robot found in a large office building or a pair of drug delivery robots working in the pharmacy wing of a hospital, but swarms of robots in huge warehouses tasked with time-critical transport of everything from books to bowling balls. If the robots prove successful at supporting Amazon’s massive volume of orders, then robots from Kiva Systems (or a competing company) are destined for a warehouse near you.

I’m just back from the annual Medicine Meets Virtual Reality conference (www.nextmed.com) in Newport Beach, CA. The topics discussed and demonstrated by engineers, students, military, and physicians ranged from mechatronics and sensors, to wearable electronics and biomedical simulation. There’s nothing like cross-fertilization with specialists from different fields to get the ideas flowing. In addition to conferences such as MMVR, there are pockets of focused activity in academia, the government, military, and industry. For example, take a look at the US Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) site at www.tatrc.org. Not only is TATRC a showcase for advanced technologies — such as the use of embedded systems in healthcare — but the organization is also a source of funding and information.

A good friend asked if I could lend a hand developing a remote optical sensing device for his robot. The challenge was that communications between the remote environment and the local electronic sensors had to be carried via a single pair of optical fibers over several meters. Intrigued, I quickly agreed. After all — I asked myself — how hard could it be? I’ve worked with IR rangefinders, light radars, and even a pair of high voltage HeNe lasers. Plus, I had just finished experimenting with the IR LIDAR from a Neato vacuum teardown.

I just purchased a pair of those R/C mini-helicopters for about $20 each. Consider that even if I could design such a craft, the parts for a remote control, battery recharging circuit, and radio receiver would cost more than $20. The helicopter body, servo motors, gyroscope, and gears would probably cost another $200, assuming I could find the parts and the plans to build the helicopter.