Blog Six: 2/24/2019
Robots exist as “Part of manufacturing assembly lines, as remote investigators of hazardous locations, and as search and rescue helpers in disasters or far away places…as well as domestic devices that help with tasks like cleaning” (Preece, Rogers & Sharp, 2015, p.215). The concept of robots with anthropomorphic qualities remains a controversial issue. With this considered, many researchers are focused on building robots with more zoomorphic qualities that simulate a pet-like interaction with the user.
Reflection on the Topic
- The term robot is hard to define but does require the possession of certain characteristics in order to distinguish it from an ordinary device or machine.
- A definition from the Galileo website’s page on Robotics states, “Well it is a system that contains sensors, control systems, manipulators, power supplies and software all working together to perform a task” (Galileo). The definition goes on to say that building a robot requires the combination of many disciplines including engineering, mathematics, and even biology.
- Below is an image of the Roomba robotic vacuum that depicts its ability to sense the floorplans for different rooms of a house.
My Thought
“I chose to discuss the term “robotics” from chapter 6 of our text because I wanted to better understand its definition. I was surprised to learn the different characteristics a system must have to qualify as a robot, namely those that involve sensing and power supplies. A robot must be able to sense the environment it is in, maybe with light sensors or sonar sensors, and it also must be able to “power itself” through the use of solar, battery, or electrical power” (Ingrid Bright, 2019).
Reference List
- Preece, Rogers & Sharp, (2015). Interaction and Design: Beyond human-computer interaction. West Sussex, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
- Robotics. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://www.galileo.org/robotics/intro.html
- Roberts, J., & Roberts, J. (2018, September 24). iRobot Roomba i7 review – a robot vacuum with surprising features. Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://www.vacuumsguide.com/irobot-roomba-i7-plus/
Ingrid Bright 