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45 Articles

WELCOME TO ROBOTS

Robots are awesome, in every sense of the word, invoking reactions from excitement to fear to awe. As scientists continue to find new ways to replicate human behaviours, and machines perform functions that we never thought they could, they become ever more present in our lives. In this book, you’ll trace back the history of the first robots and discover the best bots that you can own, right now. You’ll gaze into the future of robotics and look a little closer to home at those designed to make your house intelligent. You’ll discover how robots are making the universe smaller than ever as they help us find new worlds, before meeting the megabots who fight for sport. Finally, you’ll learn how to make your very own robot, using a simple…

WELCOME TO ROBOTS

TOP 10 ROBOTS MONEY CAN BUY

W hen Czech writer Karel Capek first used the word ‘robot’ to describe a fictional humanoid in his 1921 science fiction play, R.U.R., he had no idea that one day, almost every person on the planet would be familiar with his then fictional term. Less than 100 years later, robotics is set to become the next trillion-pound industry; it’s a matter of when rather than if. As advancements in robotics made robots smaller and cheaper, they quickly found their way into the shops. Today, a colossal variety of different robots are available to buy, from small programmable toys to monstrous humanoid suits of armour. Entertainment robots are becoming increasingly popular, many of which make use of a piece of technology we all seem to have these days: a smartphone. These…

TOP 10 ROBOTS MONEY CAN BUY

The birth of robotics

DID YOU KNOW? The first robotically assisted heart bypass took place in Leipzig in 1997 and used the da iVnci Surgical System The concept of automated machines has existed for thousands of years, from artificial servants for Gods in Greek mythology to intricate, waterpowered astronomical clocks by Chinese inventors in the 11th century. Leonardo da Vinci even designed a range of automata including self-propelled carts and mechanical knights. So when did automated machines become robots? The modern concept of robotics began during the Industrial Revolution with steam and electricity paving the way for powered motors and machinery. Inventions and discoveries made by Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla helped usher in a new era of robotics. In 1898, Tesla presented his radio-controlled boat which he boasted was the first in a…

The birth of robotics

HOW ROBOTS ARE TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD

Do Asimov’s laws still apply? Sci-fiauthor Isaac Asimov wrote the ‘Three Laws of Robotics’ in 1942 to govern the direction of his fiction. The first law stated that a robot may not harm a human or allow them to come to harm through inaction. The second was that a robot must obey humans except where the command would violate the first law, and the third was that a robot must protect its existence except where this violates laws one and two. Though these guidelines have achieved a cult-like status, robot ethics have evolved as much as the tech. Everyone, at some point in their lives, has looked at one robot or another and said “Wow!”. Whether it’s excitement, enthusiasm, fear or repulsion, there always seems to be an emotional response…

HOW ROBOTS ARE TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

What is artificial inteligance?” you ask Google. To which it replies, “Did you mean artificial intelligence?” Of course you did. Meanwhile, in the 0.15 seconds it took you to realise your own stupidity, an intelligent machine has assembled 17,900,000 results for your consideration – including video, audio, historical records and the latest headlines – ordered by relevance and reliability. 20 years ago, this type of artificial intelligence would have been the stuff of science fiction, but now we simply call it ‘technology’. Artificial intelligence began over 60 years ago as a philosophical question posed by the brilliant English mathematician Alan Turing: “Can machines think?” In 1955, the words ‘artificial intelligence’ first appeared in print in a proposal for a summer academic conference to study the hypothesis that “every aspect of…

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Robotic surgery

Robotic surgery allows for control and precision previously unknown to surgeons. Contrary to popular belief, the robot does not operate on the patient alone. It is a ‘slave’ to a human ‘master’, meaning it is not a true robot (these have intelligence and react automatically). The surgeon sits at a console next to the operating table and the robot is placed around the anaesthetised patient. The surgeon looks at a high-definition 3D image provided by the robot’s cameras, and special joysticks are used to control the ultra-fine movements of the robotic arms. This brings many exciting advantages. The camera, previously held by a human being, is now held perfectly still by the robot. The movements and angles that the arms of the machine provide allow for fine precision and less…

Robotic surgery

Bionics experts attempt to build mechanical and electronic devices to mimic biological functions. With the exception of the brain, the human body can essentially be broken down and rebuilt using a combination of mechanical, electronic and biological technologies. A bionic limb strips human biology back to its constituent parts. Tough materials like aluminium and carbon fibre replace the skeleton, motors and hydraulics move the limb, while springs replace the tendons that store and release elastic energy. A computer controls motion and wires relay electrical signals, as nerves would have done in a real limb. Users are now even able to control these limbs with their minds (see ‘The power of thought’). Technology is also in development to replace individual muscles and tendons following injury. The synthetic muscles are made from…

America’s MegaBot Mark II DID YOU KNOW? Kogoro Kurata was inspired to build his Kuratas robot by theA rmored Trooper Votoms television series Since the birth of science fiction, cinema has been pitting giant robots against each other in colossal fights to the death. The closest we ever got in real life was UK television show Robot Wars (and its US counterpart Battlebots), where radio-controlled machines went to battle in an area rigged with flame pits, angle grinders and other robot death-traps. Now, we’re set to see towering automatons go head-tohead, but these creations won’t be judged on damage, control, style and aggression. The winner will be the one left standing. American startup MegaBots Inc has created their very own piloted, humanoid robot, the MegaBot Mark II. Standing at an…

FUTURE OF ROBOTICS

Domestic ASIMO Application: Technology demonstrator Status: Continual development When it will replace humans: Unknown Info: The all-new ASIMO is lighter and more streamlined than ever. Its new smaller body belies the awesome tech within though, with ASIMO now capable of improved capabilities (such as talking while delivering drinks) thanks to advanced AI systems and considerably improved movement. ASIMO now has 57 degrees of freedom, can run at 9km/h (5.6mph) and communicate via sign language. Without a doubt, robots have captured the imagination of science-fiction writers and filmmakers over the last 80 years, but even the best efforts of engineers have so far fallen short of this unsettling vision of the graceful, intelligent, self-aware machines that may aim to kill us, love us or become more human. The application of advanced…

FUTURE OF ROBOTICS

DID YOU KNOW? Search and rescue bots were used in response to 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Imagine the scene after a huge earthquake or natural catastrophe, such as the devastating events in Fukushima or Haiti. An injured victim is buried underneath the wreckage. After some jostling, a spotlight pierces the darkness, the sound of hydraulics and motors approaches, and the rubble is lifted safely clear by a rescuer who isn’t even human. Advances in robotics are making many experts predict a near future where rescue robots will scour disaster zones en masse. But their success depends on the alignment of several disciplines. First, a robot plunging into danger needs to power itself independently. These often very heavy devices require a lot of electrical power; the…

The Iron Man su it is no longer the sole domai n of comic books and film superheroics. Thanks to advanced robotics and huma n-machine interfaces, mec hanised exoskeleton s are bei ng adopted worldwide. From machi nes c apable of tu rn ing men into super-soldiers to c yborg implants clever enough to make the disabled mobile, t he concept of human augmentation is rapidly t ransit ioning from pipe d ream to power on, with a host of companies and developers produc ing systems to make humans quicker, s t ronger and more perceptive. Why is this revolut ion happen ing now? It’s a combination of advanced d iscu ssion rega rding the ethics of suc h augmentations by the Ear th’s br ightest m inds and a…

Almost as far back as humans have been dreaming of inventions for flight, they have been envisioning craft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). Leonardo da Vinci is responsible for some of the earliest designs for today’s most common VTOL aircraft – the helicopter. It may have only been an untested imagining of a flying machine that never got off the ground, but this so-called ‘aerial screw’ harnessed the essential principles of lift through air compression – utilising a corkscrew design. Though scores of inventors and pioneers attempted to take to the skies in their own prototypes, over the following five hundred years not much further progress in VTOL flight was made. However, though the gyrocopter design was left well behind, the Italian genius’s principles of flight in essence…

Family friendly robots

The amazing world of robotics has never been as accessible as it is today. Consumers are no longer hampered by complicated technologies, wallet-busting prices or monstrous-sized humanoids, and can now get their very own robot companion fit for their home. While many of us may have dreamed of having our own R2-D2 clone, what once seemed like a far-fetched fantasy can now become a reality and, best of all, the latest wave of emerging robots are completely family-friendly. While the incredible technology behind them is still mind-blowing, many of these new machines have been stripped back to provide users with an easy way of interacting with them, allowing them to aide us in our daily lives. They’re now smarter, much more mobile and a lot easier to integrate into your…

Family friendly robots

Driver versus driverless

It’s the age-old debate: is technology better than the talents of humans? In the automotive world, this argument is fast rearing to a head, with driverless cars now being fully tested on public roads around the world. However, while driverless cars are primarily aiming to be safer than those piloted by a human being, German manufacturer Audi wanted to find out if they are faster, too. The answer to this is the Audi RS7 driverless car prototype, a pumped-up sports car that’s been specially adapted with driverless technology. The RS7 driverless concept works in much the same way as a conventional driverless car currently being developed by other manufacturers, including Toyota and Google. As well as an advanced GPS system with pinpoint accuracy, cameras are placed around the vehicle that…

Driver versus driverless

DRIVING THE FUTURE: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

DID YOU KNOW? Mainstream autonomous cars are closer than you think: Volvo wants to release a fully self-driven vehicle by 2017 All aboard the road train A further development on the self-drive principle for a single car has already been implemented on a series of vehicles, allowing them to travel autonomously as well as in tandem as part of a group. The concept was an idea borne from the ‘SARTRE’ project, which stands for Safe Road Trains for the Environment. Pioneered by Swedish manufacturer Volvo and a group of technological partners, their system uses an array of radar, camera and laser sensors linked together by wireless technology to allow autonomous vehicles to travel together in a train-like platoon. At the front of the platoon is a dedicated lead vehicle –…

DRIVING THE FUTURE: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

R2-D2, C-3PO, Rosie Jetson, Johnny 5, Wall-E – popular culture is packed with examples of friendly, sentient robot sidekicks who just want to serve us. Yet despite the human race having sent robots to Mars and beyond, there remains a distinct lack of interactive robots in most of our daily lives. But that might finally be about to change thanks to a few key technological developments. Of course, NASA has more money to throw at robotics than us mere mortals. Today, however, the processors, sensors, tiny motors and other components involved are vastly improved and have become much cheaper to produce, thanks largely to the smartphone revolution. Advances in 3D printing and the open source software movement have dragged costs down even further, to the point where emerging social robots…

Mars Exploration Rovers NASA’s most ambitious strategy since Apollo continues apace with the Mars Exploration Rovers There have been three Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) so far. The first was Sojourner, carried by the groundbreaking Pathfinder, which landed in 1997 and continued to transmit data for 84 days. The second and third (Opportunity and Spirit) touched down three weeks apart in 2004 and are now six years into their missions. Spirit, after a productive start, is now permanently immobile although still functioning. Opportunity is moving steadily across the planet surface, using software to recognise the rocks it encounters, taking multiple images of those that conform to certain pre-programmed characteristics. Use of robotic technology in space goes back much further than Lunokhod 1, the first robot ever to land on a terrestrial…

Although lunar rovers seem little more than sophisticated golf-carts compared to today’s Mars Rovers, their impact was immense; allowing astronauts and equipment to travel much further than on foot and carry back rock samples that the Apollo 15-17 astronauts later returned to Earth. The lunar rover was first deployed on Apollo 15 in 1971 and only four were ever built for a cost of $38 million (about $200 million in today’s money). Powered by two 36-volt non-rechargeable batteries, the rovers had a top speed of eight miles per hour, although astronaut Gene Cernan still holds the lunar land speed record of an impressive 11.2mph. All three rovers remained on the lunar surface after their mission ended. The Statistics ATHLETE Dimensions: Diameter: 4m Mass: Unknown Top speed: 6.5mph Mission: Transport, exploration…

Gecko robots help out in space

DID YOU KNOW? Velcro was created by Swiss inventor George Mestral in 1948, after examining seeds that stuck to his dog’s fur In space, Velcro is currently the sticking method of choice, with astronauts using it to secure equipment to the interior walls of the International Space Station in microgravity. However, Velcro has the drawback of needing a suitable surface to stick to, so NASA has now turned to nature to help them find a better alternative. Its engineers have developed a material inspired by gecko feet that can cling to almost any surface, doesn’t leave any residue and won’t lose its stickiness over time. The gecko-grippers even work in extreme temperature, pressure and radiation conditions, so the vacuum of space won’t be an issue. The adhesive uses tiny synthetic…

Gecko robots help out in space

Future space tech on Titan

The Titan Aerial Daughtercraft has been put forward by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) programme with the aim of sending a small quadcopter drone to Titan, alongside a mothership. The drone would operate above the moon’s surface, landing to take samples when required. When the drone’s charge runs out, it would be able to return to the mothership, where it could recharge and then continue its mission. Unlike the Mars rovers, the drone would be designed to work autonomously. It would be left to gather research for days at a time, before returning its data to Earth via the mothership. As it stands there is no set date for such a mission to Titan, however the interest that has been sparked by the Huygens probe will no doubt encourage…

Future space tech on Titan

Unmanned space probes

On 4 October 1957 the former Soviet Union launched the world’s first successful space probe, Sputnik 1, heralding the start of the space race between Russia and the USA. In the initial ten years the vast majority of man’s efforts to conduct scientific experiments in space were failures, and it wasn’t until the late Sixties that successes were achieved. While many were chalked up to launch failures, most couldn’t weather the harsh realities of space. Withstanding temperature extremes is a monumental task in itself. Of course, it’s not temperatures that pose problems for probes wanting to land in alien environments, they must also be capable of putting up with intense radiation and atmospheric pressures which fluctuate from pure vacuum to 90 times that of Earth’s surface pressure and beyond. Russia’s…

Unmanned space probes

How robots keep astronauts company

Feelings of loneliness are often hard to avoid when you’re in space. Astronauts who stay on the International Space Station (ISS) for extended periods often struggle with this. Sometimes, their psychological issues can be harder to deal with than living in microgravity or sleeping upright. To combat this, Japanese scientists designed a robot with the aim of providing psychological support. It was named Kirobo, which is derived from the Japanese word for hope (“kibo”) and robot. Kirobo stands 34 centimetres (13.4 inches) tall and weighs one kilogram (2.2 pounds). It has a clever voice-recognition system and can produce its own sentences with the help of an advanced languageprocessing system, and its own built-in voice synthesis software. These innovative systems were actually designed by Toyota, which plans to use the technology…

How robots keep astronauts company

Automated transfer vehicles

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) automated transfer vehicles (ATVs) are unmanned spacecraft designed to take cargo and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), before detaching and burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. They are imperative in maintaining a human presence on the ISS, bringing various life essentials to the crew such as water, food and oxygen, in addition to bringing along some new equipment and tools for conducting experiments and general maintenance of the station. The first ATV to fly was the Jules Verne ATV-1 in 2008; it was named after the famous 19th-century French author who wrote Around The World In 80 Days. This was followed by the (astronomer) Johannes Kepler ATV-2 in February 2011, and will be succeeded by the (physicists) Edoardo Amaldi and Albert Einstein ATVs in…

Automated transfer vehicles

EXPLORING NEW WORLDS

Crawling, trundling and perhaps one day walking across the surface of other worlds, roving vehicles are designed to cope with the roughest terrain and most hostile conditions the Solar System has to offer. The famous Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) driven by NASA astronauts on the later Apollo missions is a distant cousin of the robot explorers that have been revealing the secrets of Mars since the late-Nineties, and may one day venture to even more distant planets and their satellites. Equipped with ever-more sophisticated instruments, they offer a cheaper and safer – if less versatile – alternative to human exploration of other worlds. While the LRV is probably the most famous wheeled vehicle to have travelled on another body, the true ancestors of modern robot missions were the Soviet Lunokhod…

EXPLORING NEW WORLDS

Dextre the space robot

On the ISS, components sometimes need repair or must be moved for tests. Late in 2010, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre, became operational after about two years of testing. The primary reason for sending in a repair robot has to do with saving time for astronauts, who can focus on science experiments and because the robot is impervious to radiation and other space hazards. “Dextre also helps reduce the risk from micrometeorites or suit failures that astronauts are exposed to during an EVA (Extravehicular Activity),” says Daniel Rey, the manager of Systems Definition for the Canadian Space Agency. Dextre is an electrical robot. It has two electrically controlled arms, each with seven degrees of movement. Each joint is controlled by a separate computer processor and runs a set…

Dextre the space robot

The Mars Hopper

DID YOU KNOW? The first manned mission to Mars is planned to launch as early as 2030 British scientists have designed a robot that could roam the Red Planet by jumping over 0.8 kilometres (half a mile) at a time. The Mars Hopper will tackle the rocky landscape by leaping over obstacles. The Hopper measures 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) across and weighs 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds), which is slightly more than NASA’s Curiosity rover. One hop could launch the vehicle up to 900 metres (2,953 feet) at a time. To achieve this, a radioactive thermal capacitor core will provide thrust through a rocket nozzle. The Martian atmosphere, thick in carbon dioxide, would provide the fuel as it is compressed and liquefied within the Hopper. If successful, the Hopper would allow…

The Mars Hopper

The primary goal of the ExoMars mission is to determine if life ever existed on the Red Planet. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are working together on several robots to probe the planet like never before, and provide unprecedented data on the history and current composition of this fascinating world. It is hoped that the mission will provide the basis for a Mars Sample Return mission in the 2020s, and provide data for a planned human mission in the 2030s. The mission has been dogged by alterations and cancellations. ExoMars was initially intended to launch by 2012 in tandem with a Russian spacecraft. Now, however, ESA has teamed with NASA and will launch two ExoMars missions aboard two Atlas V rockets in 2016 and 2018. Here we look…

Robot building glossary

Arduino An Arduino is a microcontroller, a basic form of computer that you can program to read and control connected devices, such as a light, motor or sensor. Inexpensive and often used by hobbyists, Arduinos are normally dedicated to controlling a single process. Several coding languages can be used to program it. Breadboard An electronic breadboard is useful for making temporary and experimental circuits. “Breadboard” can also mean prototype, as you can test new electronic parts and circuit designs. They house simple or complex circuitry without needing soldering which makes it reusable. Normally made of plastic, Breadboards have numerous pluggable contact points. Coding Code provides a set of instructions for your computer so it knows what you want it to do. All software, websites, games and apps are created with…

Robot building glossary

BUILD YOUR FIRST ROBOT

You’ll need: GoPiGo kit Phillips screwdriver to assemble GoPiGo kit 8 x AA batteries (these last 30 minutes to 1 hour so rechargeable batteries may be better for extended use) HC–SR04 Ultrasonic Range Sensor Raspberry Pi B+ or 2 (you need the extra GPIO pins to easily connect the range sensor. Alternatively, you could solder wires to the GoPiGo circuit board) Male-to-male GPIO jumpers and female-tomale GPIO jumpers A breadboard A 1k resistor and 2.2k resistor An SD card containing Raspbian Jessie A USB Wi-Fidongle supported by a Raspberry Pi (the Raspberry Pi foundation recommend DID YOU KNOW? The US celebrates Raspberry Pi Day annually on 14 March, meaning the date code is 3.14 (the short form of pi) In this article we will build a Wi-Ficontrolled robot in…

BUILD YOUR FIRST ROBOT

RASPBERRY PI ROBOTS

The rise of our robot overlords is well underway – give it another five years and we’ll all be watched over by Pi-powered machines of loving grace. In the meantime, though, we’ve rounded up the very best DIY robotics kits available to buy right now that are designed to work with your Raspberry Pi, so you can get a head start on the inevitable revolution (and befriend the bots before they become our overlords). Whether they are Arduino or Raspberry Pi-based, we’re getting all of our robots to listen to our master Pi controller and we’re going to show you how to do the same with your kit. We’ll also be scoring these robotics kits to identify their strengths and weaknesses in terms of their build quality, functionality out of…

RASPBERRY PI ROBOTS

Rover 5 Seeeduino

TECH SPECS Manufacturer Dawn Robotics Height 170 mm Width and depth 225 x 235 mm Weight 1.05 kg Power 9 volts from 6 AA batteries Control board Seeeduino Arduino (ATmega 328P) Form of locomotion Two treads powered by four motors Sensors Ultrasonic and four corner-mounted infrared sensors Website www.dawnrobotics.co.uk Dawn Robotics are not new to the robot-making market, and have produced a slew of innovative Pi robots including a chassis with a camera –and the Rover 5 is sort of a successor to that kit. The Rover 5 is a lot larger and generally has a few more functions than that particular Raspberry Pi robot. Said Raspberry Pi is not needed for the Rover 5 as it is fully powered by the Seeeduino, another ATmega 328P. Construction is not the…

Rover 5 Seeeduino

TECH SPECS Manufacturer 4tronix Height 90 mm Width and depth 130 x 145 mm Weight 0.40 kg Power 9 volts from 6 AA batteries Control board Raspberry Pi Form of locomotion Two-wheel drive Sensors Ultrasonic sensor, two line sensors and two IR obstacle sensors Website www.pi2go.co.uk The Pi2Go Lite is a very interesting little bit of kit. Coming in a tiny little box and utilising no chassis, in favour of construction via its PCBs, you’d think it would be a super simple robot that follows commands and doesn’t really react much to the environment. It makes it sound like a remote control novelty more than anything else. That couldn’t be further than the truth, as the Pi2Go is probably the most featureful robot we tested. All this functionality comes at…

Hexy the Hexapod

TECH SPECS Manufacturer ArcBotics Height 100-140 mm Width and depth 300-400 x 200mm approx (depending on stance) Weight 0.90 kg Power 6 or 7.5 volts from 4 or 5 AA batteries Control board Arduino Form of locomotion Legs x6 Sensors Ultrasonic sensor Website www.arcbotics.com We were really impressed by this all-in-one kit that lives up to its Kickstarter promise of being easy to assemble for people of any skill level, including absolute beginners. Everything is neatly packaged in the box and there’s even a tiny screwdriver – meaning you don’t need any other tools (though to be fair, those servo horns ended up breaking ours, but more on that later). For the most part the instructions are excellent but there were a couple of occasions where a slight lack of…

Hexy the Hexapod

TECH SPECS Manufacturer Frindo Height 85 mm Width and depth 160 mm diameter Weight 0.55 kg Power 9 volts from 6 AA batteries Control board Arduino and/or Raspberry Pi Form of locomotion Wheels Sensors Four infrared proximity sensors Website www.robotbits.com The Frindo is sold more as a robotics platform than an actual all-inclusive robot on its own, but that doesn’t mean it’s a very basic base to be built upon. Out of the box you can do a fair bit with it, while it’s still extremely easy to build upon thanks to its support of standard Arduino and Raspberry Pi boards. Construction is very straightforward and quick, although you will have to solder on wires to the motor during the construction. This is the only soldering that needs to be…

TECH SPECS Manufacturer Kiluck Height 257 mm Width and depth 196 x 159 mm Weight 1.00 kg Power 7.5 volts from 5 AA rechargeable batteries Control board Custom Arduino (ATmega 328P) with optional Raspberry Pi Form of locomotion Bipedal walking Sensors Support for Pi camera Website www.rapiro.comcom The Rapiro is very unique on this list, even when compared to something like the Hexy. We were actually discussing in the office the difference in its design: Rapiro looks like a proper robot with its vacuum-formed shell, which in a way puts form over function. Not that it lacks function, but it’s clear its creator Shota Ishiwatari fitted the motors around a design idea rather than design around the functions. It’s a bit life-imitating-art, with Rapiro’s design referencing robots in Japanese media…

TECH SPECS Manufacturer Kiluck Height 257 mm Width and depth 196 x 159 mm Weight 1.00 kg Power 7.5 volts from 5 AA rechargeable batteries Control board Custom Arduino (ATmega 328P) with optional Raspberry Pi Form of locomotion Bipedal walking Sensors Support for Pi camera Website www.rapiro.comcom GoPiGo is one of the simplest kits in the array we’re testing here – simple in a good way though, with none of the negative connotations. The promised 20-minute build time is no exaggeration and we were up and running with this robot in no time at all. With no soldering required either then this really is an ideal gift for anyone interested in putting their first bot together. Given the sub-$100 (£63.80) price point it also makes an excellent base upon which…

Scores explained

Rover5 Assembly A little tricky in practise but still quite solid. 3/5 Build quality Generally fine but some of the screws are a little cheap. 4/5 Programmability For those without Arduino experience it can be a little confusing. 3/5 Functionality Great traction, great control and aware of its surroundings. 5/5 Hexy the Hexapod Assembly Fairly straightforward, but the wide array of screws doesn’t help. 3/5 Build quality Generally quite solid, but not consistent due to the screws. 4/5 Programmability PoMoCo gives full control over Hexy using visual aids and sliders. 5/5 Functionality Movement capabilities are incredible enough, but it does more. 5/5 Pi2Go Assembly Soldering the kit together is time-consuming and not easy. 3/5 Build quality It’s stable, but the chassis is its circuit boards. 3/5 Programmability A custom Python…

Scores explained

MAKE THE ULTIMATE RASPBERRY PI ROBOT

There’s never been a more exciting time to be into robotics. Until more recently even building the most basic robot that moves, senses its environment and reacts to external stimuli cost thousands of pounds construct. Thanks to devices like the Raspberry Pi, though, it can be done at a mere fraction of that price today. In fact, assuming you’ve already got a Raspberry Pi and have dabbled in electronics in the past, it’s unlikely you’ll need to spend more than £100 to put our project robot together. Over the course of the feature we’ll be exploring aspects of electronics, programming and basic artificial intelligence. You don’t need to have any experience in any of these fascinating fields, but we do hope you’ll be inspired to learn. We’ll be making the…

MAKE THE ULTIMATE RASPBERRY PI ROBOT

Build the motor circuit

The base skill of our robot is movement, and this is handled by the motors supplied with our Magician chassis. Motors come in a large variety of shapes and sizes, types and models, but here we will safely connect two DC motors to the Raspberry Pi. Due to the limited electrical power offered by the Pi, we will require some additional batteries a small IC to turn our motors on and off for us. Don’t ever power them from the Pi. The motor driver we will use is called an L293D, otherwise known as an H-Bridge. This one IC, or chip as it’s sometimes called, will handle the separate power control as well as providing bi-directional control for two motors. Parts list Raspberry Pi (any model) Breadboard 2x DC motors…

Build the motor circuit

Assemble the robot chassis

One thing a robot can’t live without is somewhere to mount all the parts, so for this we need a chassis. There are many different sizes, shapes and finishes available. We are going to use one of the most versatile and common, called a Dagu Magician. This chassis kit comes complete with two mounting plates, two motors and two wheels, as well as a battery box, which is perfect as a starting point for most basic robots. Once this is ready, we can start to expand our robot with new motor functions, before adding sensors. Building tips Take your time It’s easy to jump ahead and assume you already understand the build process without glancing at the instructions. That pamphlet is there to help – use it! Modifications are welcome…

Assemble the robot chassis

Installing microswitches

Now we’ve got a robot that can move anyway we want it to, let’s move on to the simplest form of interaction: touch. For our Raspberry Pi robot, it may not be as sophisticated as we experience as humans, but giving our robot its first sense will help it to navigate its own path, giving it a very basic form of intelligence. Adding a sense of touch can be handled in different ways, but the quickest and easiest method is by adding some ‘antennae’ to your robot in the form of microswitches. Given their name, they aren’t so much micro but they have long arms that protrude, making them perfect for mounting on the front of the robot. If your switch hasn’t got a lever or it isn’t long enough,…

Installing microswitches

Line-following sensors

So far the robot can decide its own path, which is a great thing for it to do, but it could end up in trouble. Let’s help it follow a set path. One solution is to add some line sensors to the underside so we are able to control it by using some masking tape on a dark floor (or some dark tape on a light floor). This can be used in a number of different ways. By marking a line on the floor, we can get the robot to follow it obediently; even by throwing in a few curves, it should be able to navigate a set path. Or it is possible to tackle it another way by adding a perimeter around the robot, allowing us to restrict the…

Line-following sensors

Ultrasonic sensing

Let’s start making things a little more complicated by adding an ultrasonic sensor and placing it onto a pan-and-tilt mounting. Ultrasonic sensors are used in different ways to judge distance by emitting an ultrasonic pulse and counting how long it takes to bounce off an object then back to the receiver. Cars that come with reverse parking sensors work in the same way to give an audible tone depending on how far away an object is. Using an ultrasonic sensor on your robot will give it a chance to take action as it approaches an object such as a wall, with enough time to evaluate and choose a new path. Ultrasonic sensors come in two varieties, based on the number of pins. Both types work in a very similar way.…

Ultrasonic sensing

Use analogue sensors

Parts list 1x MCP3008 2x Lightdependent resistors (LDRs) 2x 10K resistors Jumper wires As we’ve already shown using microswitches and ultrasonic sensors, the Raspberry Pi is very capable of taking inputs and performing actions based on the outside world. Inputs also come in a variety of different types. Most common are digital sensors such as buttons and switches, but there are also analogue sensors which can be used to read temperatures or brightness. These sensors give their data in the form of a voltage value. The Raspberry Pi is unable to read an analogue signal natively, so a little help is required and this comes in the form of a microchip called an MCP3008. This chip is commonly referred to as an ADC (analogue-todigital converter). It can communicate with the…

Use analogue sensors

There are loads of choices, which is one of the attractive things about robotics, and really you’re only limited by your time and imagination. You could choose to expand your robot’s hardware, adding more sensors as your knowledge and confidence improves, so that your robot can learn more about the world. Gas, light and sound… for practically any stimulus you can imagine, there’s the corresponding sensor that you can add to your robot. With a bigger platform, you could also add an arm to your robot so it doesn’t just sense the world – it can also pick up bits of the world and move them around. You could expand your robot by giving it the means to communicate with people it meets in its environment. Speakers are one way…

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