76 SERVO 11.2015
What Technology
was Available in
‘the Beginning?’
One of most prevalent mechanical
parts that is used by so many robot
experimenters these days is the model
aircraft servo. We had them ‘back
then,’ though they were analog types
and the varieties were limited. I saw a
few builders who used model aircraft
servos for small robots — both
modified for continuous rotation and
as-is — but the small sizes available
were not conducive for larger robots.
Most of the motors used for robots
were brushed type gearmotors that
were found at surplus places, or
electric window motors from
automobile parts stores.
Surplus motors of all types were
available at many war surplus places
and from catalogs. Leftovers from the
Korean and Vietnam wars were a
goldmine for robot builders. Do you
remember when there was no Internet
and you mailed in an order form from
a catalog? I was fortunate to live 25
miles from C&H Sales up in Pasadena,
CA and probably bought over $1,000
in motors, gears, actuators, and all
Up until that time, C&H had a
great quarterly catalog and an even
greater selection at the store itself.
The catalog had detailed specs on the
motors and the store personnel were
just as knowledgeable. These days,
sometimes the best value or just the
cheapest items are made in China as
surplus items are not as prevalant.
What Factors Make
Robots Dif ficult
to Develop?
One major factor is the general
public’s impression of the state-of-the-art in the science and applications of
robots. The Six Million Dollar Man TV
“If it is on TV, it must be true,”
viewers would say. “The producers
would not stretch the truth and depict
something that is not available to the
military.” Today’s Extant TV series
depicts a ‘humanich’ boy who looks
identical to and acts just like any eight
year old would.
The CGI-created NS- 5 robots in
the movie, iRobot were to be in
everyone’s home to perform all sorts
of tasks. C-3PO, R2D2, Chappie, and
every movie and TV show with
‘robots’ depicts this technology to be
far more advanced than anything in
actual existence. Despite the fact that
virtually every adult who sees these
movies knows that they are a fantasy
created by the producers, deep inside
they immerse themselves into the film
and visualize the robots as real.
Developers Try to
Create Products
to Satisfy Buyer’s
Desires
It is hard to sell a product to a
potential customer when they have an
opinion of what the product should
be. I have heard people express
opinions at robotics expositions and
contests such as at the Robothon in
Seattle Center sponsored by the
Seattle Robotics Society. “What can
the robot do?” many ask. After
hearing that question and supplying
an answer, the builder can imagine
the thoughts of the person asking
that question. The builder can see the
reaction in the person’s face: “Oh, is
that all it can do? I’ve seen robots in
movies and on TV that can do a lot
more things.”
You can spend hours talking to
the person about all the advances
made in robotics in the past decades,
but you’ll never completely change
their views. Public opinions are difficult
to change without an amazing
demonstration of something new.
A Robot Builder
Describes Design
and Programming
Challenges
I read a couple of interesting
articles from Robotics Trends this past
July and August entitled, 4 Challenges
Holding Back Robotics and 4 Reasons
Programming Robots is Difficult —
both by Jason Ernst of Redtree
Robotics. In the articles, he states:
“When people see movies about the
future, they see robots that interact
with their environment, learn quickly,
and adapt to changing conditions.”
Ernst also described the difficulty
of programming as another stumbling
block for a user. This, of course,
reflects back on the robot’s designer.
“Robots are not plug-and-play like
computers were in the beginning,” he
stated. “There is also a lack of built-in
reliable communications. In robotics,
most people use Wi-Fi or something
similar.” Ernst mentioned one of the
biggest factors in available
programming and software is the
expense in developing affordable
