Talk:Robotics

Robotics To Do List Status Page

I've gone over all my uploaded images. I had to add the copyright tag to keep them from being removed. they should be fine now. --Patrik 09:52, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I've made a few additions to the section on gears and bits on the actuation devices. In the discussion section of actuation devices I have put a few ideas for a template that possibly could be implimented so to get a standard sort of look about the section. Please add some ideas if you have any. --SamEEE 12:33, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

I've drawn a Logo for the wiki book. I've put it up. I'll be tuning it in the next couple of days. --Patrik 14:55, 24 May 2005 (UTC)

I've spellchecked all of the current pages of this book (except the discussion pages) with Spellbound. --Patrik 11:50, 21 Jan 2005 (UTC)

I've written a first introductory text on the front page. Anyone willing to refine it? --Patrik 11:12, 17 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Do you have a section on BEAM robotics? - Omegatron 19:52, 21 Jul 2004 (UTC)

I've added a section about BEAM robots. More special subtypes of robots could be added in "exotic robots" too. --Patrik 11:17, 13 Jan 2005 (UTC)

What is the general tone of the book supposed to be? A sort of do-it-yourself-and-see-what-happens, or a properly technical job? I quite like the way it's going now, a little informal but with all the key elements there (or spaces where they should be ;) ). Maybe a little synopsis of the book at the beginning could help, explaining its intended audience. Good work so far! --Mark Lewis 20:46, 11 Jan 2005 (UTC)

I was thinking of keeping it somewhat in the middle. Doing a good technical job without expensive hardware. Preferably using only materials that are available to the common person. I think the book should have sections covering "getting started with" on working with metals and plastics; electronics and making PCBs; programming µcontrollers and PC; Basic AI (finding the way from point A to point B; simple neural nets,...). While the main focus should be on how to do this at home, it wouldn't hurt to add some info on how this is done in the industry. I'd also like to see more "exotic" robot ideas (e.g. completely mechanical, or completely pneumatic robots). At this point I'm adding everything related to robotics when I think of it. We can always (re)move content that goes too far out of the scope of this book. Ofcourse the other cowriters (If that's the correct word) may have other ideas. --Patrik 10:05, 12 Jan 2005 (UTC)

The subsection "An Introduction to Robotics" is becoming too big. I'll move the part about robot types to its own page. Not enough time to do it now. --Patrik 15:34, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Moved the subsection. Main page is les cluttered this way. --Patrik 10:59, 15 Dec 2004 (UTC)

I've been adding links from the subpages back to the main page. I used the link structure that was already used in the microcontrollers section. I added a # to the original link to the main page. Now it returns to the main page and scolls to the subsection. To add this to new pages put this:

Robotics: An Introduction to Robotics: Wheeled

 On top of the page. Change "An Introduction to Robotics" to the correct subsection and "wheeled" to the correct page title. --Patrik 11:55, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Moved "Navigation" from "computer control" to its own section. --Patrik 12:48, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Hmm, I can't find fractal robots here... :( --Popski 18:52, 26 May 2005 (UTC)  Added a "modular and fractal robots" section to exotic robotics. --Patrik 06:07, 27 May 2005 (UTC)

Embedded Systems
I've started up a book on Embedded Systems, on the EE bookshelf that this book would probably benefit from linking to. Also, anybody in this book with knowledge in programming embedded controllers should consider lending their talents to the ES book as well. --Whiteknight T C E 23:05, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

That's a good idea. If you want you can add the link, otherwise I'll add it in the course of next week. --Patrik 15:38, 6 November 2005 (UTC)

I would like to add a section on PID control and another on Fuzzy Logic, but am unsure where it would be appropriate to slot them in. I noticed that there is a section on Reactive Systems. Shall I put that there? Daleh 16:09, 30 November 2005 (UTC)

If you intend to write on PID and fuzzy logic specific for robotics then sure, go ahead. If you mean a more generic text, it might fit in better in the [Electronics] wikibook, with a link to it on Reactive Systems.  Ofcourse either way would be great. And you could always move it later if it would be necessary. --Patrik 16:00, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Badly missing sections of the book
The book is about ALL kinds of robotics, right? Right now it more looks like its title is "Build your own robot" than "Robotics" (not that it's a bad thing per se but the title doesn't describe the book). Especially I miss sections on industrial robots and AGVs, which are the main application of robotic technology in industry as far as I know. Also interesting subtopics as robotic cars, robot transporters, cooperation between robots, history of robotics, robot simulation, kinematics, sensors etc are badly covered, I think. When I get time, I'll try to work such sections in even though it's quite a lot of work. TERdON 12:53, 8 January 2006 (UTC)

Till now most of the effort put in the book went into the DIY part of robotics, mostly because I lack real knowledge on industrial robotics and most contributers tend to extend subjects rather than introduce new subjects. It would be great if you could start on the industrial robots topic. --Patrik 16:03, 8 January 2006 (UTC)

Orphaned Pages
Either integrate these modules into the book or, if it already has the information, list them for deletion with delete. --Hagindaz 22:29, 15 April 2006 (UTC)
 * Robo:Muscles merged with Robotics: Components: Actuation Devices: Air muscle and moved to Robotics: Air muscle --DavidCary 06:59, 23 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Robo:Motors
 * Robotics: Design Basics
 * Robocode
 * RoboTOC merged into Robotics --DavidCary 06:59, 23 September 2007 (UTC)

terminology
There seems to be a bit of inconsistent terminology. I think the module Robotics: Computer Control: The Interface: Microcontrollers defines the terms "CPU" and "microcontroller" correctly (perhaps because I wrote a big chunk of it).

Some pages, such as Robotics: Computer Control: The Interface: Computers, imply that a "computer" is (narrow definition) a desktop PC or laptop PC (weighing at least 7 pounds) running some operating system that supports office applications.

While other pages of this book, such as Robotics, imply all robots, by definition, include a "computer" (wide definition) -- even "mini-class Sumo robots" which must have a mass of 500 grams (1.1 pounds) or less.

I think we need to have 2 different terms for these 2 slightly different things. (The wide definition certainly includes everything in the narrow definition, but it also includes a bunch of other things as well -- things that may be a better choice for installing on a robot).

Is there a more accurate term than multichip module for the sort of thing described in "Robotics: Computer Control: The Interface: SBC and multichip modules"? (perhaps "computer component" or "processor module" or "microcontroller module" or "stamp" ?)

--DavidCary 06:00, 12 June 2007 (UTC) edited --DavidCary 14:27, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

I've replaced the term "computer" with "PC" on the page Robotics: Computer Control: The Interface: Computers. I propose to define the term "computer" as any electronic device that can execute a program. IMO we should use more accurat terms when possible.

Multichip module is a correct term. The difference between a microcontroller and a multichip module is that a microcontroller has a single chip which contains both processing and memory circuits, while a multichip module contains seperate chips for each of its functions, which are placed in the same package. I'd say to keep the term, since there is a quite large difference between a MCM and a microcontroller and IMO the MCM stands closer to a SBC than to a microcontroller.--Patrik 06:00, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Yes, I agree that there is a difference between these "processor modules" and a microcontroller by itself. But I'm a little fuzzy on where to draw the line -- or if there even is a line -- between these "processor modules" and a single board computer (SBC). The motherboard PCB assembly in a desktop PC has "seperate chips for each of its functions" -- does that make it a multi-chip module MCM ? --DavidCary 06:44, 29 July 2007 (UTC)

Naming Convention Cleanup
Here is a list of pages which are improperly named and need to be moved:

Robot Combat
Combat Robots could be a possible addition to the "Exotic Robot" section, and could tie in multiple spects of your book. What do you all think?


 * Go for it. I want this book to grow large enough to completely cover every kind of robot, as well as cover things that are very similar to robots, such as remote-controlled combat robots that some purists might say are not "really robots" because they are not autonomous. --DavidCary (discuss • contribs) 19:48, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

suggest move
I suggest moving the Robotics/Sensors/Thermal Sensors page out of this book into the Embedded Systems book. Most of that information applies to *every* temperature sensing system, even ones that are completely non-moving. Is there any robotics-specific information in that page that doesn't apply to such non-moving systems? --DavidCary (discuss • contribs) 19:49, 3 March 2014 (UTC)