Intelligent Automation Young Learners Leaflet

ROBOTS AND US

ROBOTS WITH A HUMAN TOUCH

Traditional robots are programmed simply to repeat physical actions; however we want robots to be more adaptable and capable. Researchers have been working on ways to give robots human like senses and to make decisions based on the information these senses provide.

THINK! Imagine you are holding a strawberry and then a brick. You would need different grip strengths for each object. What might a robot do with the same objects if it did not have tactile sensors?

VISION Robots can be given both 2D and 3D vision. They can also use technologies like laser scanning to detect things that are not directly visible to the human eye.

TOUCH Robots can pick up items effectively by using tactile sensing. Sensors in their grippers help them to detect the object they are holding and to understand the force required when handling different items.

AND THE REST‌ Our senses do not stop there and robotics researchers have also been exploring taste, hearing, balance and other human traits to explore what is possible and what is useful.

SMELL Robots with an electronic nose can recognise different chemical signatures in the air and where they are coming from. This could help to identify hazardous situations but also might be used for search and rescue.

HUMANS WITH ROBOT POWER ROBOTS CAN DO TASKS WE DON’T WANT TO If robots can complete some of the repetitive or physically difficult, dirty and dangerous tasks, that then allows us to do the more complex and skilled work. We can achieve more together, so we want to create robots that are able to assess situations, make decisions and adapt, enabling them to safely work directly alongside us.

DO YOU SPEAK ROBOT? They Will Soon Speak Human!

Researchers are aiming to develop robots that can accept instructions in a more intuitive, human friendly way than traditional programming. For example, robots that can respond to voice commands, copy movements, interpret hand signals, or understand picture based assembly instructions. Algorithms will help robots to work based on limited information, such as picking up an object that is pointed at, rather than needing to be taught the precise location. This will make teamwork between people and robots much easier.

THINK! Chores are repetitive tasks that we all have to do. If you could have a robot complete one of your chores, which would it be and why?

ROBOT POWERS Robots can lift very heavy objects, cope with vibration, confined spaces and work with hazardous materials over and over again without getting tired, injured or losing concentration.

Some robots can even climb walls and can see things so tiny that they are invisible to people.

WE KNOW ROBOTS WHAT WE DO Manufacturers need to ensure that their productivity is high and their employees are kept safe from harm. This is where robots can help!

The EPSRC Centre for the Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation, in partnership with industry, carries out research to make automation more intelligent and adaptable, and to tackle specific manufacturing challenges.

AUTOMATING MANUFACTURING With each manufacturing challenge, we study the process, talk to the workers and look at how we can integrate or create technology to help. We have developed proof of concept solutions for many processes, including welding, panel beating, polishing and assembly. These are all skilled tasks where the robots must be able to deal with variation, just like a person would. In many cases, the best solution is one where an intelligent robot and a human work together.

CAPTURING HUMAN SKILL BEING INNOVATIVE We are researching and implementing interesting new technologies. For example, we are developing robots that will use electroadhesion to climb walls and to work in confined or otherwise inaccessible spaces. These robots will stick to surfaces using the same kind of power that you get from rubbing a balloon on your jumper. Electroadhesion will even work on non-magnetic surfaces and in outer space!

THINK! Variation is perhaps the biggest challenge for automation. In manufacturing this can include objects not being exactly where expected, slight variations in the size or shape of parts and changes in the work environment. People are however very good at adapting to change.

For example, if you wanted a drink but had no glass, what could you use?

It is very important to understand how skilled and experienced people complete tasks, so that we can identify the steps that a robot will need to follow to be successful. We can observe people at work and talk through their tasks in great detail to understand the decisions that experts make, some of which are so automatic that they are not easily recognised or described.

THE FUTURE

Robots are not designed to replace human workers, but to work alongside them. This allows humans to do more complicated tasks, helping industry to save money.

Working in partnership with robots will also mean that humans are able to work more sociable hours.

DRIVERLESS CARS Driverless cars are being developed so that we can carry out other tasks whilst travelling. They will be aware of other traffic on the roads and will react to hazards. This means that one day, you could be sent to school in a car with no driver!

HOSPITAL

MEDICAL ROBOTS Miniaturised robots are being developed to provide doctors greater access to areas of the human body without needing to carry out ma jor surgery. Robotic technology is also being used to help people who have lost their limbs.

THINK! Where else could we use robots in the future and why?

ROBOTS IN DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS As technology develops, more robots will be created to work in environments where it is not safe for humans such as nuclear sites, disaster zones and military environments. Robots may even help scientists to explore areas of the sea and outer space.

WHAT NE?XT...

WHAT CAN YOU DO in Intelligent robots and have a career

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Computing Science

SOMETHING TO TRY

In manufacturing we need to find nove l and exciting ways of picking up objects from difficult to reac h areas that are also unusual or complex shapes. Electroma gnet ism is a versatile and useful way of solving these chall enges.

Imagine a small mobile robot working upside down rather than a human operator having to bend into unusual and uncomfortable positions! We can also use electroma gnetism to pick up objects whic h might be in difficult to reach locations. Imagine if an operator dropped a bolt into a box or hole; they could use an electroma gnet to reach in and pick it back up again!

How about trying this experiment with a parent or teacher?

You can make an electroma gnet with the following items:

• An iron nail or a bolt • A length of wire that you can wind aroun d the nail or bolt – ensure you leave at least 15cm on either side • A small battery (AA 1.5V is perfect, or up to can safel y wind the wire ends around the a 9V battery as you positive and negative connectors on the 9V battery) • Sticky tape or similar to fix the wire to the end of the battery • Something to pick up (like paper clips) Method: • Take the bolt and check if you can pick up paper clips... chances are you cannot as the bolt is not a magnet… yet!

• Take the wire and wind it around the bolt. Make sure you wind it at least 10 times, but experiment with the number of winds and see how many more paper clips you can pick up with the extra winds • Attach one end of the wire to the posit ive terminal of the battery and the other end of the wire to the negative terminal of the battery N • Now try to pick up the paper clips again. The electricity IRON passing through the wire NAIL has caused the metal bolt to become a magnet – you have made an electroma gnet!

BATTERY • Disconnect the wires from the battery and test if the bolt COIL OF remains magnetic WIRE

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EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation Loughborough University Holywell Building Holywell Way Leics, LE11 3QZ United Kingdom T: +44 (0) 1509 227598 Connect www.intelligent-automation.org.uk Email: connect@intelligent-automation.org.uk Twitter: @WeKnowRobots