Robotics

 

The Immersive Education Initiative has been confirmed and will be coming to Paris, France this summer. The conference will address many topics surrounding the rather new immersive education initiative, including topics such as virtual reality, holograms, robotics, augmented reality, cybernetics, and more. The immersion conferences have a high reputation because of the various speakers and companies they bring in to speak every year. This year's conference will be even more exciting as it takes place in this beautiful city. More information about this event can be read at (http://summit.immersiveeducation.org/).

Robotics is a combination of the fields of mechanical engineering and computer science technology that allows for the operation of "robots". These robots are created for the purpose of being able to replicate a humans appearance, behavior, and cognition. Robots are also utilized to automate various processes which allows for more safety and further productivity in a working environment. Robot technology has vastly improved in the past century.

 

 Here is an example of a consumer toy called the RoboSapien. It is a toy-like biomorph robot that is produced by the company WowWee Toys. It is programmed with various moves that the consumer can control and set commands that it can execute as well. The commercial product is sold with a controller that operated based on 21 different buttons and allows for users to have the ability for 67 unique executable commands.

 

 Although robotics is used for various purposes they all have a set of similar elements. First of all, all robots have some form of mechanical form designed to achieve a specific purpose. A robot also has electrical components which allow for the device to be powered and controlled. Finally, the robots require computer programming, which allows for the robot to functionally complete its set task.

Robots require many components including a power source, actuation, sensing, manipulation, locomotion,  and navigational tools. Robots need to manipulate objects in order to complete a task whether it includes picking up, modifying, or destroying another object. In order to manipulate, the robot must have a set of tools such as an arm or specific tired/tracks to successfully work.

Robotics at Harvard has taken steps to make products that are actually applied and used in the real world. They are trying to make robotic tools that allow you to safely do things that would be dangerous for humans to do. An example is in the situation of a flood to send robots rather than humans to safely create sandbag walls. I think this is a very exciting step of technology for the future.