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Vol. 5 No. 11SERVOMAGAZINETOUCH BIONICS•KILLER ROBOTS•HUMANOIDS•ANDROID ARMSNovember 2007 04 74470 58285 11> U.S. $5.50 CANADA $7.00 Cover.qxd 10/10/2007 7:56 PM Page 84 Order 24 hours a day, 7 days a week www.Jameco.com Or call 800-831-4242 anytime ©Jameco Electronics. *According to the line cards on their web sites on August 28, 2007. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. OTHER JAMECO ADVANTAGES: More major brands of semis than any other catalog. 99% of catalog products ship the same day. Lowest prices guaranteed, or we pay 10%. Major brand names and generic equivalents for even greater cost savings. 5 10 15 20 We’re passive aggressive When it comes to passive products, we don’t pull any punches: we stock more major brands of passive components than any other major cata- log distributor.* So whatever brands you need— from AMP or AVX to Vishay or Wakefield— you’re more likely to find them all at Jameco. Check our “stats” below and see for yourself. It’s another Jameco advantage. Jameco ® Digi-Key ® Mouser ® Newark ® AMP AMP AMP AMP Astec Power Astec Power Astec Power Astec Power Augat AVX AVX AVX AVX Bourns Bourns Bourns Bourns Cherry Cherry Cherry Cherry Corcom Condor Power Corcom Condor Power CTS Corcom Elco Connector Corcom Elco Connector Elco Connector Grayhill CTS Fox Electronics Fox Electronics Int’l Rectifier Elco Connector Grayhill Int’l Rectifier Kemet Fox Electronics Int’l Rectifier Kemet Molex Grayhill Kemet Molex Osram Int’l Rectifier Molex Panasonic Panasonic Kemet Osram Potter & Brumfield Potter & Brumfield Molex Panasonic Teledyne Relays Vishay Osram Potter & Brumfield Vishay Wakefield Panasonic Power-One Wakefield Potter & Brumfield Vishay Power-One Wakefield Teledyne Relays Vishay Wakefield Free shipping on these and 83 other major brands. Call for details. CoverInside.qxd 10/10/2007 11:34 AM Page 2 ;^ghi"XaVhhXjhidbZghZgk^XZ### ¹Ndj ]VkZ egdk^YZY eda^iZ! 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Features & Projects SERVO Magazine (ISSN 1546-0592/CDN Pub Agree #40702530) is published monthly for $24.95 per year by T & L Publications, Inc., 430 Princeland Court, Corona, CA 92879. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT CORONA, CA AND AT ADDITIONAL ENTRY MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SERVO Magazine, P.O. Box 15277, North Hollywood, CA 91615 or Station A, P.O. Box 54,Windsor ON N9A 6J5; cpcreturns@servomagazine.com PAGE 47 PAGE 42 PAGE 32 PAGE 36 TOC Nov07.qxd 10/10/2007 5:20 PM Page 5 Published Monthly By T & L Publications, Inc. 430 Princeland Court Corona, CA 92879-1300 (951) 371-8497 FAX (951) 371-3052 Product Order Line 1-800-783-4624 www.servomagazine.com Subscriptions Inside US 1-877-525-2539 Outside US 1-818-487-4545 P.O. Box 15277 North Hollywood, CA 91615 PUBLISHER Larry Lemieux publisher@servomagazine.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ VP OF SALES/MARKETING Robin Lemieux display@servomagazine.com EDITOR Bryan Bergeron techedit-servo@yahoo.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jeff Eckert Tom Carroll Gordon McComb David Geer Pete Miles R. Steven Rainwater Michael Simpson Kevin Berry Fred Eady Brett Duesing Brian Cieslak Mark Miller Robert Doerr James Baker Chad New Bryce & Evan Woolley Heather Dewey-Hagborg CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Tracy Kerley subscribe@servomagazine.com MARKETING COORDINATOR WEBSTORE Brian Kirkpatrick sales@servomagazine.com WEB CONTENT Michael Kaudze website@servomagazine.com PRODUCTION/GRAPHICS Shannon Lemieux Joe Keungmanivong ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Debbie Stauffacher Copyright 2007 by T & L Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval. We are not responsible for mistakes, misprints, or typographical errors. SERVO Magazine assumes no responsibility for the availability or condition of advertised items or for the honesty of the advertiser.The publisher makes no claims for the legality of any item advertised in SERVO. This is the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Advertisers and their agencies agree to indemnify and protect the publisher from any and all claims, action, or expense arising from advertising placed in SERVO. Please send all editorial correspondence, UPS, overnight mail, and artwork to: 430 Princeland Court, Corona, CA 92879. In the commercial robotics world, all eyes are on the recent iRobot vs. Robot FX patent infringement lawsuits, in which iRobot is seeking to prevent Robot FX from selling any more Negotiator robots. While there are a number of facets to the case destined for the tabloids, one undisputed part of the story is that the suit comes on the heels of a competition between Robot FX and iRobot for a $280M contract with the US military. Robot FX won the contract. Whether iRobot — maker of the popular Packbot — gets another crack at the contract, the suit is important in that it marks an important milestone in the growth of the military robot industry. To follow my reasoning, consider the Gartner Hype Cycle, a popular model of technology-based products, first proposed by the Gartner Group (www.gartner.com) in 1995 (see Figure 1). According to the model, the first phase of a Hype Cycle is the “technology trigger,” marked by a significant breakthrough, public demonstration, product launch, and related events that generate press and industry interest. The next phase — the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” — is marked by over-enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations. In reality, there may be some successful applications of the technology, but there are more failures than winners. The only enterprises making money at this stage are conference organizers and magazine publishers. Following this over-hype and user/investor frustration from unmet expectations, technology-based products enter the “trough of disillusionment.” Because the press usually abandons the topic and the technology, this is the end for many products. Products that survive the trough of disillusionment – which may last months, years, or decades – are kept alive by companies that understand the technology’s applicability, risks, and benefits. The “slope of enlightenment” marks the time when there is practical, commercially-viable application of the technology – that is, some companies enjoy cash flow. Finally, the product and underlying technology reach the “plateau of productivity,” which is marked by the appearance of stable, accepted, second, and third generation products. Because it’s often difficult to directly track the few companies that are commercially successful during the Mind / Iron by Bryan Bergeron, Editor Mind/Iron Continued 6 SERVO 11.2007 VISABILITY TIME Technology Trigger Peak of Inflated Expectations Trough of Disillusionment Slope of Enlightenment Plateau of Productivity GARTNER HYPE CYCLE FIGURE 1 Mind-Feed Nov07.qxd 10/10/2007 9:54 AM Page 6 “slope of enlightenment,” external events — such as lawsuits — serve as useful indicators. I’d like to propose this is the lawsuit point (shown in red in Figure 1) between the ‘trough of disillusionment” and “slope of enlightenment.” Historically, companies producing products aren’t bothered as long as they’re in an academic lab or smoldering in a company barely making a profit on the technology. However, as soon as the technology — and market — are mature enough to generate significant, sustainable revenue, then holders of patents (and their attorneys) take notice. The motivation for a suit may be strictly monetary. Some patent holders develop and hold on to a patent with no intent of developing a product. Instead, they hope that a technology will become viable before the term of their patent ends. A suit may be motivated by competition from a rival in the marketplace. In some cases, a suit is simply to establish the right of a company to compete in a given market. The iRobot–Robot FX suit suggests that the military robotics industry has survived the trough of disillusionment and is well on its way to the slope of enlightenment. There have been lawsuits in medical robotics, a sign that the robotics industry is making progress in this area, as well. How long before we see major lawsuits for home robots or assistive robots is unclear. However, when we do see lawsuits, it’ll be a sign that the field is maturing. Hopefully, the robotics companies involved in these suits will be financially fit enough to not only survive but thrive in the new economic environment. SV Dear SERVO: Regarding the 09.2007 issue beginning on page 67, “Twin Tweaks — Robot vs.Wild” . the problem stated was that the automotive steering vehicle had trouble making tight turns. The Wooleys solved part of the problem quite accurately with the Ackermann steering geometry, but you still have a solid rear axle (wheels, axle, and drive gears acting as a single unit). Thus, driving both rear wheels with relatively equal force when you try to turn, the front end gets pushed and you wind up going in a wider radius than the front wheels are set for. In the process of turning, the rear wheels want to slip because the outside wheel is traversing a larger arc than the inside wheel. If you’re going in a straight line, like drag racers do, a solid rear end is great. But if you want to make some turns, then you need a differential. And they almost had it — looking at the photo on the bottom of page 69 titled ‘Vex Differential.’ You need to cut the axle in two (a loose sleeve joining the two ends will allow independent motion and still keep the axles relatively concentric) and put a bevel gear on each axle end so that they mesh with the third bevel gear that’s attached to the differential carrier. This will allow continuous power to be applied to both rear wheels, irregardless of each wheel’s speed.You guys are doing great — hang in there.You’ll never know what you can do until you push your limits. — Phillip Potter SERVO 11.2007 7 continued on page 75 Mind-Feed Nov07.qxd 10/10/2007 9:55 AM Page 7 8 SERVO 11.2007 Autonomous Refueling Demonstrated The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA, www. darpa.gov) has added to its bag of aeronautical tricks with the Autonomous Airborne Refueling Demonstration (AARD) program, through which it has demonstrated the first-ever robotic system to refuel airplanes in flight. In a recent series of tests, the AARD was fitted to a NASA-owned F/A-18 Hornet fighter and operated out of California’s Edwards Air Force Base. Using inertial, GPS, and video measurements — along with some special guidance and control techniques — the AARD managed to poke a refueling probe into a 32-inch basket while traveling 250 mph at 18,000 ft above the Tehachapi Mountains. Some tests were conduct- ed in straight-and-level flight, under a range of turbulence conditions that involved as much as five feet of side-to-side movement of the drogue (the small windsock at the end of the refueling hose). In its most successful configura- tion, the AARD hit the target in 18 out of 18 attempts. It also managed to make the connection when the 707-300 tanker and F/A-18 were executing a turn, which is not usually attempted with a human pilot. In the tests, the fighter was operating autonomously; the pilots shown in the photo were on board “for safety purposes.” UAV for Farmers Most of the glory in the UAV arena goes to exotic military and security aircraft, but a fleet of miniature planes may soon create a buzz over the fields and forests of the heartland, providing surveillance for farming, environmental monitoring, and forestry. MicroPilot, Inc. (www.micro pilot.com), based in Stony Mountain, Manitoba, offers a range of UAVs, autopilots, and software products, including the MP-Vision airplane. Earlier this year, MicroPilot’s Crop Cam division (www.cropcam.com) introduced a version that has been configured specifically for agricultural operations. The CropCam AUV is a GPS- guided craft that covers a preprogrammed flight pattern over a quarter section (160 acres) and takes digital photos along the way. With an overall length of four feet and a wingspan of eight feet, the six-pound plane can climb to 2,200 feet and complete a survey in about 20 minutes. Guidance is provided by a Trimble GPS unit, and you can choose among three Pentax camera models to get up to eight megapixel resolution for stills and 640 x 480, 30 fps, in video mode. Power is provided by a 0.15 cu in engine that draws from a six-oz tank, but it appears that you can also get one that is driven by an Axi brushless motor and lithium polymer batteries. Rumor has it that it will run you about $7,000. Bionic Hand Now Available The Touch Bionics’ (www.touch bionics.com) i-LIMB Hand, formally introduced in July at the 12th World Congress of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthoticsin Vancouver, Canada, looks like a great innovation for patients who are missing a hand through accidents, acts of war, or birth defects. Designed to look and operate like the real thing, it is said to be the world’s first commercial- ly available prosthetic device with five individually powered digits. The device operates on an intuitive control system that uses a traditional myoelectric signal input to open and close its fingers. Myoelectric controls The AARD system performs “better than a skilled pilot.” Photo courtesy of DARPA. Image taken by a CropCam AUV. Photo courtesy of Cropcam, Inc. The i-LIMB Hand looks and acts like the real deal. Photo courtesy of Touch Bionics. by Jeff Eckert Robytes Robytes.qxd 10/9/2007 7:56 AM Page 8 use electrical signals generated by muscles in the remaining portion of a patient’s limb, with the signal being picked up by skin-mounted electrodes. Not shown in the photo is the available “cosmesis” covering, which makes it appear more lifelike in use. The device is already being fitted to patients in many clinics in the US and Europe. Build Your Own ROV It’s not pretty, but at least it’s pretty cheap. Designed for ages 12 and up, the ROV-in-a-Box kit from !nventivity (www.nventivity.com) sells for $249.95 and includes all of the required parts (frame, motors, light, camera, tether, controller, and battery), plus an instruction manual. It also comes with propellers, switches, connectors, “buoyancy devices” (presumably the chunks of plastic foam shown in the photo), and pretty much everything else. All you have to provide is PVC cement, tools, and a video monitor. According to the vendor, independent left and right props give it good controllability and zero-radius turning, and the light is bright enough to allow night missions. See the company’s website for a six minute video. Interactive Boybot He looks quite a bit like the Japanese comic book character Astro Boy, but the new Zeno bot from Hanson Robotics (www.hanson robotics.com) is actually named after the inventor’s son. Zeno’s main claim to fame is how well he imitates human facial expressions, but he also walks, talks, and can learn to recognize individual human beings (using a camera located behind one of his eyes) and address them by name. Like other Hanson creations (recall the familiar talking Einstein bot), Zeno is based on AI capabilities that help him learn and interact with his environment, a complex range (62, to be precise) of facial and neck expressions, his somewhat weird Frubber™ polymer skin, and the ability to develop a unique personality. According to Hanson, Zeno and his pals can be used in education, psychiatry, military training, and character development for animation. Some people find him adorable, and others have described him as “creepy,” so you’ll have to judge for yourself. Zeno is still a prototype, but the plan is to have a commercial version on the market in two years for about $300. SV Robytes The ROV-in-a-Box kit comes more or less complete. Photo courtesy of !nventivity LLC. Zeno — a 17-inch mechanical boy — walks, talks, and interacts on a personal level. Photo courtesy of Hanson Robotics. SERVO 11.2007 9 Robytes.qxd 10/9/2007 7:57 AM Page 9 10 SERVO 11.2007 I n 2007, the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) supported Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Sciences at WPI (or MASS Academy, Team 190) won the FIRST Robotics World Championship in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on April 14. Team 190 designed and constructed the winning robot — Goat-Dactyl — early in the season. Goat-Dactyl is a wheel-locomotive robot with sensors for autonomous control and R/C for remote. Team 190 designed the robot to accomplish specific, competition-related tasks as part of the FIRST 2007 competition. The robot completes the tasks as part of a game in competition and collabo- ration with other teams’ robots. This year’s competition game — called “Rack ‘N’ Roll” — tested the students’ and their robots’ ability to (1) hang inflated colored tubes on pegs, configured in rows and columns, on a 10-foot-high center “rack” structure; (2) program a robotic vision system to navigate the robot; and (3) “lift” other robots more than 12 inches off the floor, according to Brad Miller, a Team 190 member. The leaders of the competition formed the aforementioned rack structure out of eight columns with three pegs each on which robot teams could place their tubes. “Every other column had a green light. The teams calibrated their robots’ cameras to track the light. Six robots took the field during a match. Officials assigned the robots to either the blue or red alliance for competition. The teams earned points by hanging their alliance-colored tubes on one or more of the rack pegs,” says Miller. According to Miller, each hung tube was worth two points unless it was contiguous (either vertically or horizontally) with another hanging tube of your alliance color. “The total point count in this case was equal to two raised to the power corresponding to the length of the matched tube row or column (e.g., one tube = two points, two tubes = four points, three tubes = eight points . a full circle of eight tubes = 256 points!),” Miller explains. Team 190 made the Goat-Dactyl robot from a kit that every team had to adhere to. The kit includes parts for the robot’s pneumatic and electrical systems, as well as a choice of motors. The robot itself consists of four CIM FR801-001 motors, which drive the robot. The large, broad metallic gripper that is the primary capability of the robot opens and closes with the aid of an RS-540 gear motor (Banebots). Two Globe 409A587 motors actuate the robot’s ramps. The team machined both the Contact the author at geercom@alltel.net by David Geer 2007 FIRST Robotics Competition Winners The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition pits high school robotics teams against each other (and themselves!) with a different robot kit and task each season. Students with Goat-Dactyl competition robot and control console queuing up before a match. The driver is thinking about strategy. Dan Jones, robot operator, is in the foreground and Colin Rody, driver, is in the background. Goat-Dactyl, mouth wide open, just before completing the lift of alliance partners. Dan Jones, operator, operating the controls in the background. Photos are courtesy of Brad Miller, Team 190 member. Geerhead.qxd 10/9/2007 7:53 AM Page 10 . shows one of these servos SERVO 11.2007 15 Figure 3. HSR-9498HB servo configurations; traditional servo configuration (left); RoboNova servo- bracket configuration. VAR WORD Position VAR WORD Servo_ Pin CON 15 Delay_50us CON 63 READ_PWM: LOW Servo_ Pin PULSOUT Servo_ Pin, Delay_50us PULSIN Servo_ Pin, 1, tmp Position =