Robot Programming

Introduction?1

Robot Programming Boot Camp?2

Ready, Set, Go! No Wires or Strings Attached?2

Boot Camp Fundamentals?3

Core Robot Programming Skills Introduced in This Book?4

BURT-Basic Universal Robot Translator?4

BRON-Bluetooth Robot Oriented Network?6

Assumptions About the Reader's Robot(s)?6

How Midamba Learned to Program a Robot?7

1 What Is a Robot Anyway??9

The Seven Criteria of Defining a Robot?10

Criterion #1: Sensing the Environment?11

Criterion #2: Programmable Actions and Behavior?11

Criterion #3: Change, Interact with, or Operate on Environment?11

Criterion #4: Power Source Required?11

Criterion #5: A Language Suitable for Representing Instructions and Data?12

Criterion #6: Autonomy Without External Intervention?12

Criterion #7: A Nonliving Machine?13

Robot Categories?13

What Is a Sensor??16

What Is an Actuator??17

What Is an End-Effector??18

What Is a Controller??19

What Scenario Is the Robot In??23

Giving the Robot Instructions?25

Every Robot Has a Language?25

Meeting the Robot's Language Halfway?27

How Is the Robot Scenario Represented in Visual Programming Environments??30

Midamba's Predicament?30

What's Ahead??32

2 Robot Vocabularies?33

Why the Additional Effort??34

Identify the Actions?38

The Autonomous Robot's ROLL Model?39

Robot Capabilities?41

Robot Roles in Scenarios and Situations?42

What's Ahead??44

3 RSVP: Robot Scenario Visual Planning?47

Mapping the Scenario?48

Creating a Floorplan?49

The Robot's World?52

RSVP READ SET?53

Pseudocode and Flowcharting RSVP?56

Flow of Control and Control Structures?60

Subroutines?64

Statecharts for Robots and Objects?66

Developing a Statechart?68

What's Ahead??72

4 Checking the Actual Capabilities of Your Robot?73

The Reality Check for the Microcontroller?76

Sensor Reality Check?79

Determine Your Robot's Sensor Limitations?81

Actuators End-Effectors Reality Check?84

REQUIRE Robot Effectiveness?87

What's Ahead??89

5 A Close Look at Sensors?91

What Do Sensors Sense??92

Analog and Digital Sensors?95

Reading Analog and Digital Signals?97

The Output of a Sensor?99

Where Readings Are Stored?100

Active and Passive Sensors?101

Sensor Interfacing with Microcontrollers?103

Attributes of Sensors?107

Range and Resolution?108

Precision and Accuracy?108

Linearity?109

Sensor Calibration?110

Problems with Sensors?111

End User Calibration Process?112

Calibration Methods?112

What's Ahead??114

6 Programming the Robot's Sensors?115

Using the Color Sensor?116

Color Sensor Modes?118

Detection Range?119

Lighting in the Robot's Environment?119

Calibrating the Color Sensor?119

Programming the Color Sensor?120

Digital Cameras Used to Detect and Track Color Objects?124

Tracking Colored Objects with RS Media?124

Tracking Colored Objects with the Pixy Vision Sensor?128

Training Pixy to Detect Objects?129

Programming the Pixy?130

A Closer Look at the Attributes?134

Ultrasonic Sensor?135

Ultrasonic Sensor Limitations and Accuracy?135

Modes of the Ultrasonic Sensor?139

Sample Readings?140

Data Types for Sensor Reading?141

Calibration of the Ultrasonic Sensor?141

Programming the Ultrasonic Sensor?143

Compass Sensor Calculates Robot's Heading?153

Programming the Compass?154

What's Ahead??157

7 Programming Motors and Servos?159

Actuators Are Output Transducers?159

Motor Characteristics?160

Voltage?160

Current?161

Speed?161

Torque?161

Resistance?161

Different Types of DC Motors?161

Direct Current (DC) Motors?162

Speed and Torque?165

Motors with Gears?167

Motor Configurations: Direct and Indirect Drivetrains?177

Terrain Challenge for Indoor and Outdoor Robots?178

Dealing with Terrain Challenges?179

Torque Challenge for Robot Arm and End-Effectors?182

Calculating Torque and Speed Requirements?182

Motors and REQUIRE?183

Programming the Robot to Move?184

One Motor, Two, Three, More??185

Making the Moves?186

Programming the Moves?186

Programming Motors to Travel to a Location?191

Programming Motors Using Arduino?198

Robotic Arms and End-Effectors?200

Robot Arms of Different Types?201

Torque of the Robot Arm?203

Different Types of End-Effectors?205

Programming the Robot Arm?208

Calculating Kinematics?212

What's Ahead??216

8 Getting Started with Autonomy: Building Your Robot's Softbot Counterpart?219

Softbots: A First Look?222

Parts Section?224

The Actions Section?224

The Tasks Section?224

The Scenarios/Situations Section?224

The Robot's ROLL Model and Softbot Frame?225

BURT Translates Softbots Frames into Classes?227

Our First Pass at Autonomous Robot Program Designs?239

What's Ahead??240

9 Robot SPACES?241

A Robot Needs Its SPACES?242

The Extended Robot Scenario?242

The REQUIRE Checklist?245

What Happens If Pre/Postconditions Are Not Met??248

What Action Choices Do I Have If Pre/Postconditions Are Not Met??248

A Closer Look at Robot Initialization Postconditions?249

Power Up Preconditions and Postconditions?251

Coding Preconditions and Postconditions?252

Where Do the Pre/Postconditions Come From??257

SPACES Checks and RSVP State Diagrams?262

What's Ahead??263

10 An Autonomous Robot Needs STORIES?265

It's Not Just the Actions!?266

Birthday Robot Take 2?266

Robot STORIES?268

The Extended Robot Scenario?269

Converting Unit1's Scenario into STORIES?269

A Closer Look at the Scenario's Ontology?271

Paying Attention to the Robot's Intention?282

Object-Oriented Robot Code and Efficiency Concerns?304

What's Ahead??306

11 Putting It All Together: How Midamba Programmed His First Autonomous Robot?307

Midamba's Initial Scenario?307

Midamba Becomes a Robot Programmer Overnight!?308

Step 1. Robots in the Warehouse Scenario?310

Step 2. The Robot's Vocabulary and ROLL Model for Facility Scenario #1?312

Step 3. RSVP for Facility Scenario #1?313

Visual Layouts of a Robot POV Diagram?315

Midamba's Facility Scenario #1 (Refined)?316

Graphical Flowchart Component of the RSVP?317

State Diagram Component of the RSVP?324

Midamba's STORIES for Robot Unit1 and Unit2?325

Autonomous Robots to Midamba's Rescue?338

Endnote?342

What's Ahead??342

12 Open Source SARAA Robots for All!?343

Low-Cost, Open-Source, Entry-Level Robots?344

Scenario-Based Programming Supports Robot Safety and Programmer Responsibility?345

SARAA Robots for All?346

Recommendations for First-Time Robot Programmers?348

Complete RSVPs, STORIES, and Source Code for Midamba's Scenario?349

A BURT's Gotchas?351

TOC, 9780789755001, 4/19/16