DOCSLIB.ORG

Mass. Robotics Cluster Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mass. Robotics Cluster Report THE MASSACHUSETTS ROBOTICS CLUSTER www.abiresearch.com THE MASSACHUSETTS ROBOTICS CLUSTER Dan Kara Research Director, Robotics ABI Research Phil Solis Research Director ABI Research Photo Credits: Amazon Robotics: www.amazonrobotics.com, Aquabotix Technology: www.aquabotix.com, Bluefin Robotics: www.bluefinrobotics.com, Boston Engineering: www.boston-engineering.com, Corindus Vascular Robotics: www.corindus.com, Endeavor Robotics: www.endeavorrobotics.com, iRobot: www.irobot.com, Jibo: www.jibo.com, Locus Robotics: www.locusrobotics.com, Neurala: www.neurala.com, Rethink Robotics: www.rethinkrobotics.com, ReWalk Robotics: www.rewalk.com, Robai: www.robai.com, Softrobotics: www.softroboticsinc.com, Vecna Technologies: www.vecna.com I www.abiresearch.com THE MASSACHUSETTS ROBOTICS CLUSTER TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. CONTRIBUTORS ....................................................................................................1 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................2 3. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................7 3.1. INNOVATION ECONOMY ...............................................................................................7 3.2. STRATEGIC APPROACH ...................................................................................................7 4. ROBOTS AND ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGIES ......................................................9 4.1. AUTONOMY ....................................................................................................................9 4.2. AUTONOMOUS, INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS ....................................................................10 5. ROBOTICS AS AN INNOVATION DRIVER ..........................................................11 5.1. UNIQUENESS OF ROBOTICS .......................................................................................11 5.2. MULTIPLIER EFFECT X2 ................................................................................................12 6. THE GLOBAL ROBOTICS AND INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS SECTOR .......................13 6.1. A FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING AND EVALUATION .......................................13 6.1.1. Taxonomizing the Sector ........................................................................................ 13 6.2. INDUSTRIAL ROBOTICS ................................................................................................15 6.2.1. Dramatic Growth ...................................................................................................... 15 6.2.2. Driving Growth ......................................................................................................... 16 II www.abiresearch.com THE MASSACHUSETTS ROBOTICS CLUSTER 6.3. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SECTOR ..............................................................................19 6.3.1. Healthcare Robotics ................................................................................................ 20 6.3.1.1. Healthcare Robotics Drivers ....................................................21 6.3.2. Defense ...................................................................................................................... 26 6.3.2.1. Unmanned Aerial Systems ......................................................27 6.3.2.2. Unmanned Ground Systems ...................................................28 6.3.2.3. Unmanned Maritime Systems ................................................29 6.3.3. Field Robotics ........................................................................................................... 30 6.4. LOGISTICS ROBOTICS ..................................................................................................34 6.4.1. Total Automation ...................................................................................................... 34 6.4.2. Multiple Classes ....................................................................................................... 34 6.5. THE CONSUMER SECTOR ............................................................................................37 6.5.1. Strong Growth .......................................................................................................... 39 6.6. THE EDUCATIONAL/RESEARCH SECTOR .....................................................................41 6.6.1. Educational Robotics ............................................................................................... 41 6.6.2. Research Robotics .................................................................................................... 42 6.7. EMERGING MARKETS ..................................................................................................43 6.7.1. Unmanned Underwater Vehicles ......................................................................... 43 6.7.1.1. Remotely Operated Vehicles ...................................................44 6.7.1.2. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.........................................44 6.7.1.3. Massachusetts Leads ...............................................................45 6.7.2. Advanced Manipulation ......................................................................................... 46 6.7.2.1. The Past .....................................................................................46 6.7.2.2. Manipulation Complexity.........................................................47 6.7.2.3. The Next Generation ................................................................47 6.7.3. Automated and Autonomous Vehicles ................................................................ 48 6.8. EMERGING ROBOTICS ENABLERS ..............................................................................51 6.8.1. The IoT and Industrial Internet Architectures and Services ............................ 52 6.8.1.1. Connected Things .....................................................................52 6.8.2. Cloud Robotics/Distributed Robotics .................................................................. 53 6.8.3. AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning ......................................................... 53 6.8.3.1. Machine Learning .....................................................................53 6.8.3.2. Deep Learning ...........................................................................54 III www.abiresearch.com THE MASSACHUSETTS ROBOTICS CLUSTER 6.8.3.3. Research and Investment ........................................................54 6.8.3.4. Cloud and Local ........................................................................54 6.8.3.5. Deep Learning and Robotics ...................................................54 6.8.4. Robot Operating System and Open Source Solutions ..................................... 54 7. THE MASSACHUSETTS ROBOTICS CLUSTER ............................................... 56 7.1. NUMBER AND TYPES OF COMPANIES ........................................................................56 7.1.1. Funding Sources ...................................................................................................... 57 7.1.2. Key Industries and Application Areas .................................................................. 58 7.2. KEY TECHNOLOGIES, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES ......................................................58 7.2.1. Technologies and Services for Developing Robotics Systems ........................ 59 7.3. REVENUE, EMPLOYMENT, AND NEW BUSINESS FORMATION .................................60 7.4. SALARIES FOR ROBOTICS ENGINEERS ........................................................................61 7.5. OFFICE LOCATION/RELOCATION OF NON-STATE-BASED ROBOTICS FIRMS .............62 7.6. INVESTMENT IN ROBOTICS .........................................................................................62 7.7. PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS-BASED ROBOTICS FIRMS ....................66 7.8. MASSACHUSETTS INCUBATORS, ACCELERATORS, AND WORKSPACES .....................67 7.8.1. Accelerators ............................................................................................................... 68 7.8.2. Corporate Accelerators .......................................................................................... 69 7.8.3. Incubators ................................................................................................................ 69 7.8.4. Co-working Spaces and Makerspaces ................................................................. 70 7.9. EDUCATION AND RESEARCH .......................................................................................70 7.9.1. Degree Programs ..................................................................................................... 70 7.9.2. University Research Laboratories ......................................................................... 70 7.9.3. Private, Non-profit Research Facilities ................................................................ 71 7.9.4. Robotics Research at Medical Centers ................................................................ 72 IV www.abiresearch.com THE MASSACHUSETTS ROBOTICS CLUSTER 7.10. NATIONAL LABORATORIES ...........................................................................................72 7.11. MASSACHUSETTS MILITARY INSTALLATIONS .............................................................73 7.11.1. U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center ........................................................... 73 7.11.2. Joint Base
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Impact of the Maker Movement
    Impact of the maker movement Developed by Deloitte Center for the Edge and Maker Media from the Maker Impact Summit Dec. 2013 I AM A MAKER with my own two hands I forge the future from my imagining my work, my sweat with these tools i can build worlds here i put wire and foam transistor and plastic rubber metal and wood together to make something new what does it do where will this take us new places new worlds all from my workshop Malcolm S. Hoover, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS A Future of Potential 4 Overview 7 Letters from Conveners 10 How to Read This Document 14 How might the Maker Movement have an impact on… 15 • Manufacturing 16 • Education 19 • Government and Public Policy 22 • Citizen Science 25 • Retail 28 What Happens Next? 30 Participants 32 Other Images from the Summit 38 A FUTURE OF POTENTIAL We are on the cusp of an opportunity to more fully We are in a correction of sorts. Driven by the goal of scale tap into our creative potential, driven by significant efficiencies and low costs, the supply chain has been technological innovation that is democratizing the means stretched to the far extremes, like a bungee cord, and now of production and enabling connections between resources it’s starting to come back as the underlying economics and markets. Realizing this opportunity will require change. Where will we end up? We’ve learned in the last re-thinking and redesigning all of our major institutions, 15 years that experimentation is the key to innovation.
    [Show full text]
  • Autonomous Intelligent Robotic Manipulator for On-Orbit Servicing
    AUTONOMOUS INTELLIGENT ROBOTIC MANIPULATOR FOR ON-ORBIT SERVICING BENOIT P. LAROUCHE A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTORATE OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO AUGUST 2012 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du 1+1 Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-92801-1 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-92801-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non­ support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation.
    [Show full text]
  • And Financial Implications of Unmanned
    Disruptive Innovation and Naval Power: Strategic and Financial Implications of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and Long-term Underwater Power Sources MASSACHUsf TTT IMef0hrE OF TECHNOLOGY by Richard Winston Larson MAY 0 8 201 S.B. Engineering LIBRARIES Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012 Submitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY February 2014 © Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2014. All rights reserved. 2) Author Dep.atment of Mechanical Engineering nuaryL5.,3014 Certified by.... Y Douglas P. Hart Professor of Mechanical Engineering Tbesis Supervisor A ccepted by ....................... ........ David E. Hardt Ralph E. and Eloise F. Cross Professor of Mechanical Engineering 2 Disruptive Innovation and Naval Power: Strategic and Financial Implications of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and Long-term Underwater Power Sources by Richard Winston Larson Submitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering on January 15, 2014, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering Abstract The naval warfare environment is rapidly changing. The U.S. Navy is adapting by continuing its blue-water dominance while simultaneously building brown-water ca- pabilities. Unmanned systems, such as unmanned airborne drones, are proving piv- otal in facing new battlefield challenges. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are emerging as the Navy's seaborne equivalent of the Air Force's drones. Representing a low-end disruptive technology relative to traditional shipborne operations, UUVs are becoming capable of taking on increasingly complex roles, tipping the scales of battlefield entropy. They improve mission outcomes and operate for a fraction of the cost of traditional operations.
    [Show full text]
  • An Exploratory Study of a Robotics Educational Platform On
    AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF A ROBOTICS EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM ON STEM CAREER INTERESTS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS by TRACY BARGER HINTON MARGARET L. RICE, COMMITTEE CHAIR ANGELA BENSON ROBERT MAYBEN REBECCA ODOM-BARTEL VIVIAN WRIGHT A DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Technology Studies in the Graduate School of The University of Alabama TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA 2017 Copyright Tracy Barger Hinton 2017 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT With the large expected growth in STEM-related careers in American industries, there are not enough graduates to fill these positions (United States Department of Labor, 2015). Increased efforts are being made to reform STEM education from early childhood to college level studies, mainly through increased efforts to incorporate new technologies and project-based learning activities (Hegedorn & Purnamasari, 2012). At the middle school level, a robotics educational platform can be a worthwhile activity that provides hands-on learning as students learn basic programming and engineering skills (Grubbs, 2013). Based on the popularity of LEGO toys, LEGO Education developed an engaging and effective way to learn about computer programming and basic engineering concepts (Welch & Huffman, 2011). LEGO MINDSTORMS offers a project-based learning environment that engages students in real-life, problem-solving challenges. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the instructional use of a robotics educational curriculum on middle school students’ attitudes toward and interests in STEM and their experiences with LEGO Robotics activities. Participants included 23 seventh grade students who were enrolled in a Career Cluster Technologies I class in a suburban middle school.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Robotics: Timeline
    History of Robotics: Timeline This history of robotics is intertwined with the histories of technology, science and the basic principle of progress. Technology used in computing, electricity, even pneumatics and hydraulics can all be considered a part of the history of robotics. The timeline presented is therefore far from complete. Robotics currently represents one of mankind’s greatest accomplishments and is the single greatest attempt of mankind to produce an artificial, sentient being. It is only in recent years that manufacturers are making robotics increasingly available and attainable to the general public. The focus of this timeline is to provide the reader with a general overview of robotics (with a focus more on mobile robots) and to give an appreciation for the inventors and innovators in this field who have helped robotics to become what it is today. RobotShop Distribution Inc., 2008 www.robotshop.ca www.robotshop.us Greek Times Some historians affirm that Talos, a giant creature written about in ancient greek literature, was a creature (either a man or a bull) made of bronze, given by Zeus to Europa. [6] According to one version of the myths he was created in Sardinia by Hephaestus on Zeus' command, who gave him to the Cretan king Minos. In another version Talos came to Crete with Zeus to watch over his love Europa, and Minos received him as a gift from her. There are suppositions that his name Talos in the old Cretan language meant the "Sun" and that Zeus was known in Crete by the similar name of Zeus Tallaios.
    [Show full text]
  • A Modular, Reconfigurable Mold for a Soft Robotic Gripper Design Activity
    ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 26 September 2017 doi: 10.3389/frobt.2017.00046 A Modular, reconfigurable Mold for a Soft Robotic Gripper Design Activity Jiawei Zhang1, Andrew Jackson2,3, Nathan Mentzer2,3 and Rebecca Kramer1,4* 1 School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States, 2 Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States, 3 College of Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States, 4 Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States Soft robotics is an emerging field with strong potential to serve as an educational tool due to its advantages such as low costs and shallow learning curves. In this paper, we introduce a modular and reconfigurable mold for flexible design of pneumatic soft robotic grippers. By using simple assembly kits, students at all levels are able to design and construct soft robotic grippers that vary in function and performance. The process of constructing the modular mold enables students to understand how design choices impact system performance. Our unique modular mold allows students to select the number and length of fingers in a gripper, as well as to adjust the internal geometry of the pneumatic actuator cavity, which dictates how and where bending of a finger occurs. In addition, the mold may be deconstructed and reconfigured, which allows for fast iterative design and lowers material costs (since a new mold does not need to be made Edited by: Matteo Cianchetti, to implement a design change). We further demonstrate the feasibility of the modular Sant’Anna School of Advanced mold by implementing it in a soft robot design activity in classrooms and showing a Studies, Italy sufficiently high rate of student success in designing and constructing a functional soft Reviewed by: Gursel ALICI, robotic gripper.
    [Show full text]
  • Using Robotics to Enhance Active Learning in Mathematics: a Multi-Scenario Study
    mathematics Article Using Robotics to Enhance Active Learning in Mathematics: A Multi-Scenario Study Edgar Lopez-Caudana 1,* , Maria Soledad Ramirez-Montoya 2, Sandra Martínez-Pérez 3 and Guillermo Rodríguez-Abitia 4 1 Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Mexico City 14380, Mexico 2 Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Humanities and Education, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; [email protected] 3 Department of Didactics and Educational Organization, Faculty of Education, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; [email protected] 4 General Direction of Computing and Information and Communications Technologies, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 31 October 2020; Accepted: 27 November 2020; Published: 4 December 2020 Abstract: The use of technology, which is linked to active learning strategies, can contribute to better outcomes in Mathematics education. We analyse the conditions that are necessary for achieving an effective learning of Mathematics, aided by a robotic platform. Within this framework, the question raised was “What are the conditions that promote effective active math learning with robotic support?” Interventions at different educational scenarios were carried in order to explore three educational levels: elementary, secondary, and high school. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed, comparing the control and treatment groups for all scenarios through examinations, direct observations, and testimonials. The findings point to three key conditions: level, motivation, and teacher training. The obtained results show a very favourable impact on the attention and motivation of the students, and they allow for establishing the conditions that need to be met for an effective relationship between the teacher and the technological tool, so that better learning outcomes in Mathematics are more likely to be obtained.
    [Show full text]
  • Robot Control and Programming: Class Notes Dr
    NAVARRA UNIVERSITY UPPER ENGINEERING SCHOOL San Sebastian´ Robot Control and Programming: Class notes Dr. Emilio Jose´ Sanchez´ Tapia August, 2010 Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Navarra 987‐84‐8081‐293‐1 ii Viaje a ’Agra de Cimientos’ Era yo todav´ıa un estudiante de doctorado cuando cayo´ en mis manos una tesis de la cual me llamo´ especialmente la atencion´ su cap´ıtulo de agradecimientos. Bueno, realmente la tesis no contaba con un cap´ıtulo de ’agradecimientos’ sino mas´ bien con un cap´ıtulo alternativo titulado ’viaje a Agra de Cimientos’. En dicho capitulo, el ahora ya doctor redacto´ un pequeno˜ cuento epico´ inventado por el´ mismo. Esta pequena˜ historia relataba las aventuras de un caballero, al mas´ puro estilo ’Tolkiano’, que cabalgaba en busca de un pueblo recondito.´ Ya os podeis´ imaginar que dicho caballero, no era otro sino el´ mismo, y que su viaje era mas´ bien una odisea en la cual tuvo que superar mil y una pruebas hasta conseguir su objetivo, llegar a Agra de Cimientos (terminar su tesis). Solo´ deciros que para cada una de esas pruebas tuvo la suerte de encontrar a una mano amiga que le ayudara. En mi caso, no voy a presentarte una tesis, sino los apuntes de la asignatura ”Robot Control and Programming´´ que se imparte en ingles.´ Aunque yo no tengo tanta imaginacion´ como la de aquel doctorando para poder contaros una historia, s´ı que he tenido la suerte de encontrar a muchas personas que me han ayudado en mi viaje hacia ’Agra de Cimientos’. Y eso es, amigo lector, al abrir estas notas de clase vas a ser testigo del final de un viaje que he realizado de la mano de mucha gente que de alguna forma u otra han contribuido en su mejora.
    [Show full text]
  • Industrial Robot
    1 Introduction 25 1.2 Industrial robots - definition and classification 1.2.1 Definition (ISO 8373:2012) and delimitation The annual surveys carried out by IFR focus on the collection of yearly statistics on the production, imports, exports and domestic installations/shipments of industrial robots (at least three or more axes) as described in the ISO definition given below. Figures 1.1 shows examples of robot types which are covered by this definition and hence included in the surveys. A robot which has its own control system and is not controlled by the machine should be included in the statistics, although it may be dedicated for a special machine. Other dedicated industrial robots should not be included in the statistics. If countries declare that they included dedicated industrial robots, or are suspected of doing so, this will be clearly indicated in the statistical tables. It will imply that data for those countries is not directly comparable with those of countries that strictly adhere to the definition of multipurpose industrial robots. Wafer handlers have their own control system and should be included in the statistics of industrial robots. Wafers handlers can be articulated, cartesian, cylindrical or SCARA robots. Irrespective from the type of robots they are reported in the application “cleanroom for semiconductors”. Flat panel handlers also should be included. Mainly they are articulated robots. Irrespective from the type of robots they are reported in the application “cleanroom for FPD”. Examples of dedicated industrial robots that should not be included in the international survey are: Equipment dedicated for loading/unloading of machine tools (see figure 1.3).
    [Show full text]
  • Navegación Y Control De Un Mini Veh´Iculo Submarino Autónomo
    CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION´ Y DE ESTUDIOS AVANZADOS DEL INSTITUTO POLITECNICO´ NACIONAL UNIDAD ZACATENCO DEPARTAMENTO DE CONTROL AUTOMATICO´ Navegaci´on y control de un mini veh´ıculo submarino aut´onomo TESIS Que presenta M. en C. Iv´an Torres Tamanaja Para obtener el grado de DOCTOR EN CIENCIAS EN LA ESPECIALIDAD DE CONTROL AUTOMATICO´ Directores de Tesis: Dr. Jorge Antonio Torres Mu˜noz Dr. Rogelio Lozano Leal MEXICO´ DISTRITO FEDERAL AGOSTO DEL 2013. El riego de nadar entre tiburones, no son los tiburones. El verdadero riesgo es sangrar mientras lo haces. (I.T.T.) A la memoria de mi Chan´ın. Q.E.P.D. Dedicatoria A mis padres: Sa´ul Torres Jim´enez Guillermina Tamanaja Ram´ırez Por su palabras de aliento, por la confianza que siempre me han dado, porque son el refugio en mis momentos de duda, porque con nada pago el gran amor y cari˜no que me profesan sin esperar nada a cambio. Por ser una gu´ıa, ejemplo y motor impulsor en mi vida. A mis hermanas: Ivonne e Ivette Qu´epor todo y sobre todo han mostrado ser las mejores hermanas, porque demuestran su afecto y cari˜no con las cosas m´as b´asicas. A mis sobrinos: Iv´an Santiago David Con sus sonrisas me recuerdan que la vida es un juego. Agradecimientos A Dios, que me da la oportunidad de abrir los ojos a un nuevo d´ıatodos los d´ıas. Al CONACYT, por otorgarme una beca para poder realizar mis estudios de docto- rado. Al Dr. Pedro Castillo Garcia, que con su estilo muy particular de aconsejar..
    [Show full text]
  • Robots in Education: New Trends and Challenges from the Japanese Market
    Themes in Science & Technology Education, 6(1), 51-62, 2013 Robots in education: New trends and challenges from the Japanese market Fransiska Basoeki1, Fabio Dalla Libera2, Emanuele Menegatti2 , Michele Moro2 [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 1 Department of System Innovation, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871 Japan 2 Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Italy Abstract. The paper introduces and compares the use of current robotics kits developed by different companies in Japan for education purposes. These kits are targeted to a large audience: from primary school students, to university students and also up to adult lifelong learning. We selected company and kits that are most successful in the Japanese market. Unfortunately, most information regarding the technical specifications, the practical usages, and the actual educational activities carried out with these kits are currently available in Japanese only. The main motivation behind this paper is to give non-Japanese speakers interested in educational robotics an overview of the use of educational kits in Japan. The paper is completed by a short description of a new pseudo-natural language we propose for effectively programming one of the presented robots, the educational humanoid Robovie-X. Keywords: educational robot kits, humanoid robots, wheeled robots, education Introduction With the advance of technology, robotics have been successfully used and integrated into different sectors of our life. Industrial robot arms almost completely replaced the manual workload. Service robots, such as Roomba, serve as home helpers in the households, dusting the house automatically. Also in the field of entertainment, many robots have also been developed, the robot dog AIBO provides a successful example of this.
    [Show full text]
  • Characterizing and Evaluating Autonomous Controllers
    Departamento de Autom´atica Programa de Doctorado en Investigaci´on Espacial Characterizing and Evaluating Autonomous Controllers Dissertation written by Pablo Mu~noz Mart´ınez Under the supervision of Dra. Mar´ıa Dolores Rodr´ıguez Moreno International advisors Dr. Amedeo Cesta and Dr. Andrea Orlandini Dissertation submitted to the School of Computing of the Universidad de Alcal´a, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Characterizing and Evaluating Autonomous Controllers 2016 \The Viking Lander is a superbly instrumented and designed ma- chine. It extends human capabilities to other and alien land- scapes. By some standards, it's about as smart as a grasshopper, by others, only as intelligent as a bacterium. There's nothing de- meaning in these comparisons; it took nature hundreds of millions of years to evolve a bacterium, and billions of years to make a grasshopper. With only a little experience in this sort of business, we're getting pretty good at it." Carl Sagan Cosmos { episode 5, 1980. Acknowledgements Como en cualquier tesis, el primer agradecimiento no puede ser m´asque para el director, o directora en este caso. En gran medida esta tesis es fruto de Mar´ıa Dolores. El esfuerzo y dedicaci´onque he puesto yo en su confecci´onposiblemente se vea superado por el suyo. No puedo m´asque expresar mi m´asprofunda admiraci´on por sus conocimientos, aptitudes y el entusiasmo que pone en todo lo que hace. Por ello, muchas gracias por permitirme hacer este viaje junto a ti. Tambi´enquiero agradecer a todos mis compa~neros del laboratorio E31 en el que he pasado m´astiempo que en mi propia casa durante los ´ultimos a~nos, con menci´on especial a Yolanda y Javi.
    [Show full text]