http://servomagazine.com/index_ee.php/mindiron/index/ en Copyright 2012 2012-01-13T20:31:30+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/behavior_change_a_hallmark_of_intelligence/ February 2012 By Bryan Bergeron Intelligence — broadly defined — is the ability to adapt. In nature, the simplest life forms adapt through swapping genetic material during reproduction and through genetic mutation. For example, if one bacterium out of 5,000,000 carries a mutation that enables it to detect and avoid a poisonous chemical, then the descendants of that bacterium may possess the same ability. Mutations allow for changes in behavior at the population level. 2012-01-13T20:31:30+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/robot_school_will_neurosynaptic_chips_put_an_end_to_traditional_programming/ January 2012 By Bryan Bergeron IBM’s new cognitive computing chip — which is loosely based on the structure and function of a biological nervous system — may signal the eventual end of programming as we know it. The chips — though built of silicon — are designed to learn from experience, much like the way neural networks correlate outcomes with input variables. The chip is about to be put to the test by researchers from Columbia University, Cornell University, the University of California, and the University of Wisconsin. 2011-12-20T21:59:11+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/December2011_Bergeron/ December 2011 by Bryan Bergeron Experimenters who have spent significant time designing and building robots know that often the greatest challenge is locating affordable parts. For example, oftentimes I know exactly the sort of sensor I need, but can’t seem to find it in the online robotic shops. When pressed for time, I sometimes cannibalize a perfectly good working robot for a $50 sensor. As a result, my collection of bots resembles a hospital ward filled with hobbled patients. 2011-11-17T17:56:05+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/re-inventing_the_wheel/ November 2011 By Bryan Bergeron The field of robotics is so vast – spanning mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering – that you have to focus on one area to get anything done. For example, if you’re into pattern recognition-based navigation, you’ll have your hands full with image processing algorithms and perhaps image acquisition hardware design. 2011-10-20T17:05:10+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/the_long_arm_in_space/ October 2011 By Bryan Bergeron This summer — with the launch of the Atlantis — marked the end of the NASA Space Shuttle Program and, along with it, the use of that amazing robotic arm. The Canadarm — first flown on a shuttle mission in 1981 — has six joints, is 50 feet long, and can lift 586,000 pounds in space. I’m not sure how to interpret that last figure, given things are supposedly weightless in orbit, but it’s fascinating to note that the hollow arm can’t even support its own weight on the ground. 2011-09-22T16:56:04+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/mobile_platforms/ August 2011 By Bryan Bergeron An advantage of using an off-the-shelf robotics platform is that you can focus on the navigation, vision, or other higher level challenges. However, when your robot can’t move in an environment, all the AI in the world isn’t going to help. This was highlighted recently by the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan. An underwater robot was used to explore the damage inside the spent fuel pool. Similarly, a robot was used to measure the radiation levels within the facility. Paradoxically, with all of the ‘advanced’ robotics development in Japan, the robot used to explore the facility was a US made iRobot PackBot. The floor was reportedly too cluttered for a Japanese robot to operate. 2011-08-02T15:03:14+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/voice_recognition_options/ July 2011 By Bryan Bergeron I’ve been having fun with SayIt: a voice recognition module available from Parallax (http://www.Parallax.com) for about $60. The module is an affordable and painless means of adding voice recognition functionality to your robot or other microprocessor based application. 2011-07-06T14:35:02+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/embedded_linux_development_platform/ June 2011 By Bryan Bergeron I had the pleasure of speaking with a fellow robotics enthusiast, Eric Gregori, about his latest contribution to the field of affordable robotics. Eric started building robots at eight, and continues his passion/obsession today as the Embedded Firmware Product Specialist at Freescale Semiconductors. Because Freescale is into selling silicon and Eric is into robotics, it seems as though he’s one of the lucky few people that get paid for what they would otherwise do for free. 2011-06-01T17:44:05+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/anthropomorphic_computing/ May 2011 By Bryan Bergeron While the prowess of the IBM Watson super computer is old news, its appearance on the Jeopardy show is worth some reflection. The producers of the show — dealing with the need to pull in a home video audience — had to provide something other than a box for the Watson persona. In addition to the blue globe with strands of light, there was a robotic finger to press the button. Although a handicap for a computer that could simply connect via a serial cable to the button circuitry, the mechanical linkage was deemed necessary for the viewing audience to relate to the robot. That is, the consensus was that the finger was needed to make the computer seem more like a human competitor. 2011-04-27T15:14:38+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/3d_printers_and_self-replicating_machines/ April 2011 by Bryan Bergeron, Editor When the Apple LaserWriter first appeared on the market in 1985, the $5,000 laser printer and Macintosh computer helped to create the self-publishing industry. The LaserWriter and other desktop laser printers enabled small business owners and well-heeled computer enthusiasts to produce professional documents on their desktop. 2011-03-23T17:12:51+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/building_with_repurposing_in_mind/ March 2011 by Bryan Bergeron, Editor In these cost-conscious times, the economics of robotic experimentation may be at odds with your budget. A DIY robot with microprocessor, a few sensors, and two or more servos can easily run $100 or more in parts. And once you’ve built and tested your robot, you’ll inevitably want to upgrade or significantly improve the design. That’s when it starts to get expensive. 2011-02-16T17:36:50+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/february2011_Bergeron/ February 2011 by Bryan Bergeron The quest for innovative solutions in robotics sometimes requires taking the painful step of leaving behind familiar technology in favor of new, unproven technology. The hope is that the return on investment of moving forward pays for itself in some combination of new functionality, smaller form factor, less cost, lighter weight, or ease of development. Sometimes this bears out, and sometimes it doesn’t. 2011-01-20T15:44:22+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/janaury2011_MindIron/ January 2011 by Bryan Bergeron Advances in robotics, like the growth of the economy, seem to be at a standstill. As a result, few new technologies have trickled down to the enthusiast level. That’s about to change. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have teamed up to fund a 100 small business grants that will advance the field of robotics. You can find the full announcement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-279.html. 2010-12-21T16:18:07+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/december2010_MindIron/ December 2010 by Bryan Bergeron When it comes to controlling a robot arm with six or more degrees of freedom or directing a rover through a complex maneuver, it can be challenging to direct movement in real time. There’s only so much you can do with two hands and a standard game controller, and a cumbersome keyboard is often less than optimal. 2010-11-15T15:30:08+00:00 http://servomagazine.com/index.php/mindiron/post/november2010_MindIron/ November 2010 by Bryan Bergeron If you’re a robotics enthusiast, you’ve probably at least considered picking up one of the robot vacuum cleaners. I have. But I haven’t purchased one because I haven’t found a robot vacuum cleaner – the most popular form of service robot on the planet – that can replace a handheld vac. I also suspect that many consumers share my sentiments, as well. 2010-10-21T14:10:15+00:00