Robots

Robots.
Do you feel sorry for robots? Like unpopular contestants on New Zealand Idol, they have a bit of an image problem. But they're already doing all kinds of 'dirty work' behind the scenes and creating new jobs for young people with the right skills.
Never trust a robot - at least, not according to Hollywood. Films, TV shows and books have had a huge impact on the way we see robots and robotics. Rather than being grateful for these mechanical helpers doing boring, menial or dangerous tasks no human wants to do, we dismiss them as fictional movie 'baddies'. "There are lots of films where the robot sets out to destroy civilisation," says Adrian Steel, a teacher of third to seventh form electronics classes at Auckland's Rangitoto College. "The ultimate example of this, of course, is the Terminator series. Rarely are robots seen in the movies as benign, likeable beings.

 

The exceptions are from the 1950s and 1960s. The robot in Lost In Space was likeable and benign - appropriately, he was called B9." Dr Karl Stol of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland is part of the university's Robotics Research Group. He agrees there's a relationship between science fiction and reality, but views the link optimistically.

 

"Science fiction writers are creative and when they envisage a future that involves robotics the general public and researchers feed on it and want that to become reality. Where there's a will there's a way, and they find ways to make it a reality." Robotics has lost its geeky image and is today considered cool. "Schools are far more involved in electronics and robotics now, simply because of the success of Robot Wars," Adrian says. "Robots are now fun!"

 

DANGER! ROBOT MILKMAID

 

Have you ever added up all the places where robots work? Factory assembly lines provide thousands of robots with a workplace. The police use them for bomb-disposal, and the army sends mine-clearing robots to Third World countries to locate and defuse landmines. Robots reset the pins in bowling alleys and can even be used to milk cows - it's no joke: there's a robot on a farm in Hamilton doing it right now. A laser locates the teats on each cow's udder and computer-controlled gates guide the cow into place for milking.

 

So why are robots doing jobs that in past centuries were done by humans? It's partly because they're so good at repetitive tasks that require accuracy. Once a robot has learned something, it performs that task perfectly, over and over again. Unlike people, it needs no lunch or tea-break and can work all day and all night without resting. Of course, using robots for repetitive and dangerous jobs doesn't bring only benefits: automation costs human workers their livelihoods, unless they're retrained to build more robots.

 

NOT JUST A 'BOY THING'

 

Not only is the way we think about robots wrong; so, it seems, is the idea that only boys are interested in them. "We find girls are often more creative than boys with ideas," says Ross Peterson. "Instead of learning electronics, they turn robotics on its head and start with an idea, programming robots rather than building them. And that's much more attractive to a right-brain sort of person."

 

Ross is Bright Sparks manager at ETITO, an industry training organisation. Bright Sparks helps New Zealand industry find the skills it needs among young people and is designed to encourage them to move into high-tech. Ross also sits on the planning committee for the RoboCup Junior competition. A good point of entry for all those interested in robotics, Ross says, is the Bright Sparks internet club (see 'Robot Links'). "It's for kids aged eight years and up, and we have an interactive forum on our website," says Ross. "We work with industry and have a national competition every year where we showcase our young people's talent."

 

TOOL OR TOY?

 

Adrian says playing with toys like Lego is vitally important for developing robot skills. "Any good robotics engineer will tell you it all started with Lego. An understanding of gears, levers and motors is all-important." He suggests kids buy robot-building kits and learn how to put them together. But he also warns students not to expect everything to go right the first time their robot comes to life.

 

"A determination and an almost addictive compulsion to know how a thing works are of equal importance. But you also need a willingness to ask 'Why not?'" Grant Sargent is technical operations director for Grand Challenge, which invents robots that drive cars, trucks, bulldozers and tractors. The company was launched in 2004 to compete in the DARPA Grand Challenge, a 281km race for robots in the Mojave Desert in Nevada, USA. There's a US$2 million prize for the winner. "I keep pretty busy with some cool toys . er, tools," he says. "Our company is working on a robotic driver that can make driving safer because a robot always concentrates and doesn't fall asleep at the wheel."

 

Grant developed his own interest in robots watching Star Wars. "I loved R2-D2 and C-3PO and the other droids. If I was making a robot like R2-D2, though, I'd have designed it to climb up stairs."

 

GET IN EARLY!

 

Some robotics experts say there's a shortage of skills, particularly of experienced electronics engineers. "There are very few students coming through university," says Adrian of Rangitoto School, "and the opportunities to develop a career are much greater abroad, with the US being the most obvious choice." But Grant says robotics trends suggest skills will develop much as they have done in the information technology industry. "Fifteen years ago, computers were quite basic and there weren't a lot of IT people around. It's the same with robotics now. Very soon, we'll see a need for lots of people to work with robots, and they'll need to be trained."

 

So, how would you go about training to become a robot expert, like Professor Hobby in the movie Artificial Intelligence: A.I.? "Kids should start getting involved in how things work," says Adrian. "They need to immerse themselves in technology - not just electronics, but mechanics."

 

Although there'll always be a need for people with hands-on skills to repair robots, the key expertise will come from programmers, scientists and engineers, says Grant. "It's pretty hard work, but I've got the coolest toys in the sandpit, and I work with really smart people who keep me challenged and motivated," says Grant.

 

BATTLE-BOTS AND MECHATRONICS

 

Bright Sparks runs workshops designed to help you jump some of the hurdles if you want to build your own robots without spending lots of money. "We're running 'Booster Workshops', where we have what we call the 'masking tape and Blu-Tack robot', which is a five-minute job. As soon as you've got that together you can deal with the programming, electronics and mechanics," says Ross.

 

A modest revolution in robotics has been enabled by a tool developed in the UK: a cheap, programmable chip called the PICAXE 08M. "PICAXE is very exciting because it's programmable, and kids aged 14 to 16 and upwards can do thousands of things with it," says Melvin Din of the Electronics Technology Education Centre (ETEC). "They duplicate what I'm doing and add their own flavour. It's low cost and, when they get older, they can make their own war robots."

 

Melvin runs an Auckland Robotic Challenge every year in Pukekohe. The brainwave behind the challenge was "every kid should have a hobby for brain stimulation". Those who take part get to use soldering tools, components, sensors and miniature DC motors. The basic equipment (including instructions and technical assistance) is supplied, and you get to build your own robot, compete with other children and take your robot home with you at the end of the day.

 

Harold Russ, who teaches technology and physics at Auckland's Kings College, also chairs the RoboCup Junior Committee. "RoboCup Junior New Zealand is a robot ics competition that started in Australia. It grew and is currently operating in around 32 countries, with more than 100,000 kids taking part in it," says Harold.

 

The committee promotes the competition as an event kids of almost any age can enter. "Each year, the winners are encouraged to publish their designs so other kids can build on what their predecessors have learnt," Harold says. "During the competition, if the robots break down, we encourage them to help each other sort out their problems." Massey, Auckland and Waikato universities run so-called 'mechatronics' courses, which are a direct route into robotics. "It's a blend of three disciplines: mechanical, electronic and computer systems engineering. You need all of those to get a robot working," says Harold. "We have someone who's just completed his mechatronics degree at Massey and who's been a Bright Spark from the beginning," says Ross.

 

DEXTEROUS FINGERS

 

To make academic preparations for a career in robotics, it'll help if you're good at electronics, technology, maths and physics, and are also a member of a technology club. But when Melvin first became interested in robotics, microelectronics was not even a recognised subject.

 

Today, he says, students with an interest in electronics shouldn't initially worry about specialisation, they should just give it a try. "They don't need to do senior-level maths or physics, just basic technology - and have dexterous fingers," he says. Harold of Kings College says if you want to get into robotics seriously you'll need to go to engineering school and have a background in physics and mathematics. "Usually, the engineering schools start from scratch, so if students have good marks in physics, maths and maybe chemistry and English, they can get into the more high-powered courses."

 

Robotics graduates may find themselves working in automation, says Karl Stol of the University of Auckland. "Graduates can go overseas and pursue careers in the automobile industry, where there's a huge amount of robotics - not just in manufacturing, but also in making cars smarter, so they can drive themselves and avoid obstacles."

 

FANCY THAT

 

With high-profile companies like Fisher & Paykel using robotics in New Zealand, future job opportunities look good and graduates are in demand. "Newly graduated robotics engineers have a huge range of opportunities in front of them," Adrian agrees. With the exception of toy making (products such as Roboraptor and Robosapien), the biggest growth sector in robotics is in services: robots that help people rather than working in factories.

 

"New Zealand researchers are working on robots for mowing lawns; or that can fly, to help farmers check on their animals; helpers for the handicapped for example, smart wheelchairs; or robots that find things for people," says Grant. He predicts that robotics will enter a rapid growth phase in five years' time and there won't be enough trained people to go around. "Most of the jobs are currently overseas, but my company is hoping to change that. We want to have a great robot industry in New Zealand so we can hire the world's best and brightest people to make the world's best robots."

 

There's still a long way to go before real-world robots match up to the dexterity of their science fiction counterparts. But progress is being made in many areas, including artificial intelligence.

 

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