Sensors in robotics

In robotics sensors are very important device. We can not think any intelligent robot without sensor. In robotics different types of sensors are used. A sensor is a transducer used to make a measurement of a physical variable. A good sensor mast have some important characteristics. Here we discuss five of them.

•  Range: This refers to the minimum and maximum change in input signal to which the sensor can respond. The sensor should possess a wide operating range.
•  Response: The sensor should be capable of responding to changes in the sensed variable in minimum time. Ideally, the response should be instantaneous.
• Accuracy: The accuracy of the measurement should be as high as possible. The output of the sensing device should properly reflect the input quantity being measured or sensed.
•   Sensitivity: It refers to the change in the output exhibited by the sensor for a unit change in input. The sensitivity should be as high as possible.
•  Linearity The sensory device should exhibit the same sensitivity over its entire operating range.

There are some other consideration to function sensory device properly. For example, The device should not disturb or have any effect upon the quantity it senses or measures. The device should be suitable for the environment in which it is to be employed. Ideally, the device should include isolation from receiving excess signals or electrical noise that could give rise to the possibility of miss operation or damage of the sensor, circuit or system. Also important are the physical size, cost and ease of operation.

Sensors in robotics may be broadly classified as contact and non-contact sensors. As the name implies, the former class of sensors respond to physical contact, such as touch, slip, force and torque. Non contact sensors on the other hand rely on the response of a detector to variations in acoustic or electromagnetic radiation. The most prominent examples of non-contact sensors are range, proximity, and vision sensors.

Making USB charger for Nokia mobile

Some time our Nokia mobile phone charger is become spoil. Then we can create a USB charger with an useless USB cable and an useless charger pin. It is very easy to make an USB charger.

First of all cutoff one side of the USB cable, you will get four wire. Wrap two of them with tape except black and red one so that they can not touch one another. Now cut the charger pin(charging port) from the useless charger and release it from rubber. Now attach red wire to the inner part of the charging port and attach black wire to the outer side of the charger pin(charging port). Then wrap it with tape and now you are ready to charge your nokia mobile with this portable and efficient USB charger by attaching it to your computer USB port.

About Robot

With the revolution of technology, human works are replaced by automatic machines. Thus automation technology becomes popular in industry, office works and even in homes. A new type of automation technology has become available that is adjustable, adaptable and flexible enough not only to the change in the design of the product, but also to the change in the process of manufacture of the products. This type of automation is termed as Programmable automation. Here Programmable means that one set of tasks can be easily switched over to another set by changing the computerized instructions. An Example of Programmable Automation technology is the robot. The name Robot came from Czechoslovakian word Robota, which means a worker or a slave doing heavy work. In 1921-22, Karel Capek, a Czechoslovakian playwright introduce the concepts of humanoid in his play titled “Rossum’s Universal Robots”. In the same time, a Gyrocompass used in a ship and governor used for controlling the speed of steam locomotives or automobiles had also been called robots. In the 70's, automatic machines with the capability of lifting materials, tools, etc. and performing tasks as instructed by the master had also been called robots.

Therefore a robot is a machine that carries out the tasks done by a human being. A robot may do assembly work where some sort of intelligence decision- making capability as expected from a man is needed. A robot sometime does heavy work and automatically performs the same task repetitively.

An Industrial Robot has been defined as a reprogrammable multi functional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools or specialized devices through various programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.

Though robots came into focus in 1961 when Unimation Inc., USA introduced the first servo-controlled industrial robots, their historical background may be divided into three stages.

• Ancient and post historic ages

• Post-Industrial renaissance age

• Microelectronics and microprocessor age

Sir Isaac Asimov dealing on the subject of robotics framed three basic laws which the robotocists still obey with respect. The laws are philosophical in nature. They are as follows:

• First Law: A robot must not harm a human being or, through inaction, allow one to come to harm.

• Second Law: A robot must always obey human beings unless it is in conflict with the first law.

• Third Law: A robot must protect itself from harm unless that is in conflict with the first and/or the second laws.