Activity 1.1A:History of Robotics

Activity 1.1a History of Robotics

Purpose

Most people think that robots are mechanical people of the future. Use the website below to investigate our history with robotics and what our future might look like.

Equipment

· History of Robotics handout

· Computer with Internet access

· Pencil

Procedure

Go to the following website and read through the sections, answering the questions below.

http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/robotics/universal/index.html

Feel free to watch any of the videos on the website while reading through the pages.

1. List five tasks that robots can currently perform:

2. Approximately how long have we been using robots? ______

3. It is thought that Homer, the ancient Greek poet, described the first metallic helpers for which Greek god?

4. When did Leonardo da Vinci draw plans for a mechanical man?

5. What events spurred the development of robots in the 1950s and 60s?

6. What was the first product of robotic manufacturing in 1959?

7. What two characteristics differentiate a robot from a machine?

8. When, where, and what was the first use of the word robot?

9. What percentage of robots work in factories?

10. What function do more than half of robots perform?

11. What accident in 1986 demonstrated a clear need for a robot to go where humans couldn’t?

12. How are robots used in microsurgery?

13. What is the name of the rover that investigated the surface of Mars in 1997?

14. How long does it take for commands from Earth to reach a rover on Mars?

15. Where else, besides space exploration, can robots go that humans cannot?

16. What happened in 1994 in Alaska?

17. What is unique about Nomad?

18. What was the name of the vehicle that was a predecessor in the early 1970s to the Nomad as a somewhat autonomous vehicle?

19. What is a degree of freedom?

20. How many degrees of freedom does a robot need to reach any point in space?

21. One of the most common types of robotic sensors is the light sensor. One of the simplest uses of the light sensor is for ______.

22. What is one of the greatest challenges for robotic engineers?

23. List five other types of sensors.

24. One way to create artificial intelligence is to use what kind of logic?

25. What are two other approaches to artificial intelligence?

26. At what year is it expected that robots will reach the equivalent of human intelligence?

27. What are the three Laws of Robotics as written by Isaac Asimov in the 1940s?

Now return to page 5 of this website and try At Your Command. First try maneuvering the rover on earth in the remote mode. Then repeat the activity on the Moon. Take note of the time it takes to run the course in both environments. When finished, answer the conclusion questions below.

Conclusion

1. In the simulation, what was the major difference in maneuvering the rover on the Moon rather than on Earth?

2. How would this affect the way that a robot is programmed for maneuvering?

3. Do you feel that Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics are useful for the future? Explain your answer.

4. If time permits, view the video of a simulation of the 2003 Rover landing on Mars. The video is located on page 5 of the website.

Project Lead The Way, Inc

GTT® – AR Unit – Lesson 1 – Activity 1.1a – History of Robotics – Page 1