Match Move Hyperloop Test

Classwork 11/29/2016

Classwork 10/25/2016

Keying and Match Moving with Green Screen

Classwork 11/1/2016

3D Tracking and Match Moving to Integrate 3D Objects in a Scene

Emerging Technology Storyboards

Emerging Technology UI-Hyperloop

Final Robot Essay+Narrative

Robot Essay

There is no real, all-encompassing definition to a robot because there are so many different kinds of robots with different functions. The broadest definition of a robot, in terms of engineering, is a reprogrammable brain that can move an operable body. The definition keeps robots as separate entities from vehicles and computers (Harris).

Vehicles nowadays may have on dashboard computers, but these are not considered as robots. The computers in these vehicles are usually only meant to make minor adjustments. The computer doesn't drive the car itself, barring the self-driving cars that are slowly being worked on, therefore it's not a robot, but self-driving cars could be considered robots. And on the other hand, laptops and computers that we're used to aren't robots as they do not have a movable body. In theory, these computers could move a body, but they aren't typically used in that manner (Harris).

Robots are made up of 5 major components: the Body Structure, Muscle System, Sensory System, Power Source, and the Brain System. The body is what contains everything, the muscle system is how the robot moves, the sensory system, while not necessary often helps the brain run the robot, the power source moves the muscle system, and the brain runs the whole thing (Harris).

The Robot Muscular System is usually made of either simple machines or complex segmentation. When robots use complex segmentation, plastic and metal are arranged into joints. The other major way that robots move are with wheels and axles. The muscular systems are often moved with actuators. Actuators are essentially motors that move the “muscles” and joints but cannot power the entire robot. Actuators are often electric motors, hydraulics, pneumatics, or solenoids, which are electromagnets that generate a controlled magnetic field ("Solenoid"). Most actuators must be powered by being plugged in or having batteries (Harris).

Most power sources for robots are electricity related. But in robots that are hydraulic, their power source is their fluid pump, and for pneumatics, the power source is their air compressor. In any robot, even if they are pneumatic or hydraulic, they have an electrical circuit that gives them the power to move. The robot's brain can turn electricity on and off in the power source to send it down the circuit into the muscular system, triggering them to move. This is very similar to how the human body works, which is how we often base robot designs off of.

A lot of robots don’t have sensory systems, as they often run on pre-determined programming, and cannot think for themselves. If robots do have a sensory system, for the most part they have kinetic sensors, as that’s the easiest to program into a bot. A simple, standard way to make one is by putting an LED on the inside of a wheel, and having a light sensor read the pattern of the light shining through the holes in the wheel cover to tell the velocity it’s traveling at. More advanced sensors and processing systems are being created for robots, to give them the senses that humans have, especially the 5 primary ones. But for this, we need sensors that can emulate the human senses, and the robot's brain and programming must learn how to interpret the senses. 

Robot brains are most often a computer processing system that is decently sized, and kept safe within the body. These are often programmed with simple instructions, as most sensory systems aren’t very advanced. Besides the kinetic sensor, robots can also receive instructions in real time, from remote controls or wireless/wired computers. Most recently, scientists and engineers are trying to imbue their robots with artificial intelligence. The goal of this process is to create robots that can function in place of humans in hazardous jobs, like working nuclear reactors (Harris).

The study of artificial intelligence in robots is also helping scientists to understand how the human brain works. However, since we don't have a concrete idea of how the brain works, this is proving to be the hardest part of the job. Robots are very simple at the moment, as we only have a simple understanding of the cognitive processes and the phenomenology of the brain at the moment (Spruijt)(Harris).

The major way scientists are trying to get autonomous robots is by testing out problem solving, and assessment algorithms

This is a Nao Robot, who is being tested and demoed at the HRI Laboratory at Tuft's University. The Nao has vision sensors that gives it the ability to assess a situation. The Nao's brain runs on an algorithm that processes the data from it's sensors to run safety checks on it's surroundings to make sure it will be safe doing a task while also considering the input of the operator.

Simple Natural Language Interaction with Consequence Reasoning. Perf. Nao Robot and Comm X. YouTube. HRI Laboratory at Tufts University, 03 Aug. 2015. Web. 08 Oct. 2016. 

Spruijt, Robert. "Imagination and the Brain." Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles. 31 Aug. 2016. Lecture.

Tom Harris. "How Robots Work" 16 April 2002. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/robot.htm> 11 October 2016

Narrative

aka Please send Help Tobe is awful at thinking up stories

Final Narrative Idea

Robots and humans work together in a nuclear plant. However in an attempt to cut costs and appease the protests of environmentalists, the plant is forced to switch over from a feed pump water system to  an experimental PIUS system by the government. However, the PIUS unit in the reactor isn't stable enough to withstand the nuclear energy and a meltdown begins. The robots are all ordered to stay and shut down the systems safely, while the humans evacuate. One of the humans gets trapped in the building, and a robot disobeys orders to rescue them and take them outside. The robot gets the human out of the plant safely and heads back in to assist with shutting down the systems. The robot and human later become close, and eventually marry.

Drafting Ideas

Probably something based off of Nao with something deep and profound about the robot's ability to say no, but the human pushes them over the metaphorical edge or something. Work in I, Robot's laws of robotics? Maybe murderbot? Robo-morality.

Robots for rape metaphor? Story about a robot who cannot say no, and is abused but has a human friend that helps them get the robot arrested and start a movement for Nao programming into robots' code

A child has difficulty doing some activity in class and he's behind. He's all sad and lonely and other kids is like psh what a loser. Baxter the robot comes over assist the child and makes his day hunky dory

A soldier just got his arm blown off in war and lies bleeding on the ground. He sees his life flash before his eyes and he closes them. When he opens them, he's in the hospital, confused. A soldier bot sits beside him. Other soldiers inform him that this soldier bot dragged his ass back to safety and he owes this bot his life. He looks eyes with this bot and whispers thank you. Bot and him get married in like 5 years with bot kids. (Thank you Stacy for helping out)

 Robot's programming allowed it to say no to the superior officers and went to save the soldier.

Nuclear reactor meltdown happens, and a robot disobeys orders to save an evacuating human. The two get married later.