In this issue: A Spotlight on Chemical Engineering Plus 2004-05 Annual Report College Robotics Labs Join Forces

hey have similar The move will give experts They hope to combine their missions but different more time to work on what knowledge not just in the actual backgrounds. They’ve they know best, Schwartz building of robots, but also in worked together in the past, but said. Doctorate students in getting the funding for those T electrical engineering shouldn’t robots. were never this close. Now in the same building, they hope to have to spend their time doing create a more complete, better mechanical design when a “The biggest reason to come funded robotics program at UF. master’s student in mechanical here is to help both of our engineering could easily do it funding,” Schwartz said. After years of being housed faster. Similarly, mechanical separately in the Mechanical engineering doctorate students According to Schwartz, both and Aerospace building and shouldn’t be doing what a labs will have input into most, if in Benton Hall, the Center master’s student in electrical not all, grant proposals, research for Intelligent Machines and engineering could do. proposals, and papers. He said Robots (CIMAR) and the he believes that this will bring Machine Intelligence Lab It will also allow students in in more funding for both labs. (MIL) are now just a few steps electrical engineering to freely from each other. mingle with those in mechanical “I don’t see any downside,” engineering, Crane said. Crane said. “There’s no way “This is something we started that the labs are going to come talking about three or four “If one of their students needs together and things be worse years ago. When it became help from us, it’s a snap, and than they were, so I think possible again and Carl Crane, vice versa,” Schwartz said. there’s only a good side to it.” the director of CIMAR, still wanted it, it was a no-brainer,” Before the move, there were a The move was just the first step. said Eric Schwartz, associate few students who would cross Long-term goals of the labs director of MIL. “We definitely over from other departments to include a degree in robotics and said it would be a great thing.” work in MIL or CIMAR, but a robotics institute, something the move makes it even easier few universities in the world MIL is a part of the Electrical for students who wish to explore have, Schwartz said. & Computer Engineering all the aspects of the world of department, while CIMAR robotics. “I feel that the move is going is part of the Mechanical to give us a chance to be more & Aerospace Engineering The result, Schwartz said, will than we or CIMAR could have department. That difference has hopefully be better robots, with ever been before, to be a robotic kept them apart, but it is now better mechanical designs and institute at least in ideas,” he what they hope will enable them better electronics. said. to build better machines. Reshelle Smith “We can put it all together,” “I think the main reason we Schwartz said. “What’s http://cimar.mae.ufl.edu/ wanted to do it was because they necessary to build a robot, a real have certain expertise that really robot, a good robot, a robust http://www.mil.ufl.edu we don’t,” said Crane, referring robot, is theory and practice to MIL. “It’s not just duplicate, of electrical, mechanical, and where they do the same things computer engineering, and we do, but they’ve got different that’s what we bring together strengths.” that was never together in one place on this campus before.”

20 The Florida Engineer Student

“All of our electronics had to fit within the shell. At UF, to save money, we make a lot of our electronics, whereas other teams might buy it off the shelf.”

Besides the electronics, the SubjuGator has five thrusters that give the computer complete three-dimensional control, said team member Jose Carlo Francis. It is powered by lithium polymer batteries that allow it to operate for 90 minutes. The design is completely new.

Greco said building the sub Robot Submarine was a good introduction to collaboration and other skills of professional engineering. “Our SubjuGator Hints at the Future classes are great, but it’s mostly just theory,” he said. “There n the heels of the project. “These robotic subs the UF team placed among aren’t a whole lot of practical rescue of a Russian could serve as spy-bots or plant the top three in four previous applications, and this allows you mini-submarine by explosives. You don’t always competitions, the Aug. 3-7 to get a leg up.” a remotely operated sub, UF want to use humans because we competition at the Space and O He added that one problem engineering students are leading value human lives and fighting Naval Warfare Systems Center their compatriots in the design is risky.” near San Diego was its first with today’s remotely operated of the next generation of robotic victory. The competition is submarines is that they require underwater vehicles. On Aug. 7, 2005, the remote- sponsored by the Association a cable or other communications controlled British “Scorpio” for Unmanned Vehicle Systems link to the operator at the SubjuGator, built by eight underwater vehicle disentangled International and the Office of surface. “If you’re going down students in the Machine a Russian mini-submarine Naval Research. into the Marianna Trench, the Intelligence Laboratory, placed that had been trapped for days deepest spot on Earth, you can’t first in a national competition beneath the Bering Sea, saving Three teams achieved one of the exactly drop a cable in there,” of 21 student-built robotic the seven-member crew. The competition’s main objectives: he said. submarines in August. The rescue highlighted the capacity Finding an underwater pinger, sub points the way toward a of remotely operated subs to or sound-generating device, Robotic subs remove this future of smart, compact robotic lend assistance in situations that in a murky pond, and then impediment, but as Grego submarines that could repair are either too dangerous or too rising to the surface directly noted, “They have their own underwater pipelines, guard deep for human divers - in this above the pinger. UF took first problems to work around.” One ports, and conduct military case, cutting the mini-sub free place because SubjuGator at 30 major challenge: programming offensive operations underwater. of fishing nets and other debris pounds was at least 40 pounds the subs to “see” and react that had trapped it more than lighter than the other finalists. to objects or changes in the “The military wants to have 600 feet below the surface. terrain, a difficult task for land- a significant percentage of “We forced ourselves into a based robots made even harder its battle infrastructure done The next step is to make small design by buying a small underwater by limited visibility without humans in 10 years submarines autonomous, or shell,” said team leader Jim and difficulty of controlling the - by 2015, 30 percent of all able to navigate and complete Greco, who earned his BS vessel. US military vehicles should tasks without human assistance. degree in 2005 and began his Aaron Hoover be capable of autonomous UF teams have worked on that doctoral program this fall, navigation,” said Eric Schwartz, thorny challenge since at least both in electrical and computer www.mil.ufl.edu/ the Electrical & Computer 1998, when they entered the engineering. Engineering faculty first Autonomous Underwater adviser for the SubjuGator Vehicle Competition. Although

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