Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
Making Science Fair Project with a Toddler. — Parallax Forums

Making Science Fair Project with a Toddler.

JimmioJimmio Posts: 43
edited 2005-12-19 10:13 in Robotics
How can I go about programming this bot for the subject "Can a robot be as high of intellect as a human"? And What is the cheapest way to have it so the Toddler can speak english? thx in advance. I'm also getting a memsic accelorometer. How can I use this to keep the bot from falling over?

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Info on all kinds of robosports:
www.freewebs.com/robotbattles

Comments

  • dandreaedandreae Posts: 1,375
    edited 2005-12-16 00:39
    You can use the accelerometer to manage the balance using the values that record from the Memsic.· You can use the Emic text to speech board for human voice.· However, it will take a little·creative thinking as·far as placing a speaker on the Toddler.· Here is a link to the Emic speech module:· http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30006

    Dave

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Dave Andreae

    Tech Support
    dandreae@parallax.com
    Http://www.parallax.com

    ·
  • JimmioJimmio Posts: 43
    edited 2005-12-17 03:29
    thx for the info. how can I go about programming this bot to act "similar" to a human?

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Info on all kinds of robosports:
    www.freewebs.com/robotbattles
  • knightofoldcodeknightofoldcode Posts: 233
    edited 2005-12-17 10:50
    Jimmio, this is such a vague question. Do you want it to be similiar to a human in vision, sound, etc, etc.... And how so?... For instance, should the bot "jump" when it hears a loud sound?... Should the bot be afraid of something like light, or the lack of light, like a small child?... See the problem, it's a HUGE amount of information to be human. And Humans don't even know how to be human, it's instinctial, so it's hard for a human to program in a human aspect, when they just do it without thinking.

    And, not to be rude or insulting, but isn't that part of the project?... Fo you to learn how to do something and get ideas of things you've already seen?.... For example, typically in larger scale projects such as college, the student is required to have research, if this is in pyschology, then they have to observe humans before thy can do anything. Same thing here. Sit down and watch the way a human walks, you'd be amazed at how difficult this is. Essentially because a human "falls" into the step. It's hard to program robot's to do this...... So, I don't think you should attempt to make the robot walk like a human, it's way beyond the scope of anyone but a miltimillion dollar project. Asimo does, but it's a multi-million dollar project. And even that isn't human like. The center of gravity doesn't change on Asimo, as far as I know.

    You've got a grasp that it would be hard to make a robot a human, otherwise it'd have been done, but you also seem to know the limitations of such robots, since you put "similiar" in your post.

    What I'm trying to say is, I'm certain anyone on this board would be willing to answer any question that wasn't so vague. For example...

    "I'm considering making a robot for a science fair project, and I want to make my robot appear humanisk, I'd like to integrate some kind of balance device to let the robot know how to balance himself, and I'd also like the robot to track light from a flashlight, or follow a path on the floor, or chase someone else using sound, or throw darts at a target, or walk around a surface that is unkown even to the programmer, such as the surface of Mars, or I'd like to make my robot sound as human as possible, or How do I go about making my robot speak to me?, or how can I control my robot, can it be done automatically, or does it have to be remote control?, etc, etc, etc."

    Hopefully you understand the essence of this post, I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but the question of "How to program a robot to be similiar to humans" is really hard to answer, and can't be done without more information on the intentions. So, you come up with some way for it to be more human, and I'm sure the rest of the group can help you figure out how to accomplish that goal. If you attempt to do everything listed above, you'll never get done. In fact, alot of times the robots sent off to mars, or other planets are still being programmed while they are in space awaiting to arive! So you'll never be done with it, so start small and add more and more, until you're either satisfied, or the time limit has arrived!

    Knight.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    This message transmitted with 100% recycled electrons.
    -=-=-=-=-=-
    Gravity doesn't exist. The Earth sucks.
    -=-=-=-=-=-
    Make a man a fire, and he will be warm for the night.
    Light the man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2005-12-17 13:40
    Intellect! That is a tough one.
    Computers in some ways are already like humans.
    It is much easier for them to talk than listen.
    So inteligent verbal communication has been very slow to develop.

    Speech recognition boards often will only recognize one person and maybe 200 words maximum.

    Other human behaviors - such as finding a home, getting fed, and sleeping are much easier to impliment.
    After all, intellect doesn't have to be communication, it can be problem solving.
    My dog is quite smart but doesn't talk to me. He does understand English, Chinese, and Taiwanese though!

    Vision, like speech is a lot about both collecting and using what we already know.
    So, seeing can be a bit tricky too.
    If you rely on only one system [noparse][[/noparse]like infrared or ultrasonics], there are things that go unseen.
    But, if you already have some knowledge [noparse][[/noparse]a map of some kind], the information tells you what is unusual and useful.

    I suspect that the Science Fair wants you to first consider what it is to be a human, and then what can a robot do.
    Try to narrow it down to one system or group of systems that seem to be more human.

    One clue:
    Even with all its high technology, the MIR Spacestation is no longer. Maybe it had a useful life of 25 years. But, it couldn't remember much of anything and didn't know how to take care of itself. In many ways it was a 'state of the art' robot.

    But people live an average of 80 years, repair themselves, avoid known dangers via memory, and can run all day on one or two BigMacs.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    "When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)

    ······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan
  • JimmioJimmio Posts: 43
    edited 2005-12-18 03:58
    I want to be able to detect objects in the way (via IR/Ping/"Twinkle Toes") and have it so the Toddler can balance itself on uneven terrain. Sorry for the vague question. Is there a speech recognition chip out there that could be easily compatible with the BS2? And, another thing, is it possible to have a solar panel on top to charge the batteries while it's walking? Or run on Solar w/sun and batt w/out sun? thx.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Info on all kinds of robosports:
    www.freewebs.com/robotbattles
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2005-12-19 10:13
    Uneven terrain is quite limited by the Toddler's design.

    To really handle uneven terrain well, each foot would have to be completely independent and adjust both side to side and front to back.
    This would mean more servos [noparse][[/noparse]and least one more for just side to side independence] and maybe using a Stamp to handle the management of each foot.

    Front to back would take another servo and a bit of linkage between the two legs to create 'slant'.

    Additionally, it would help if the bottoms of the feet had an array of switches [noparse][[/noparse]let's say 4] that would tell when complete surface contact was made in a balanced and complete fashion.

    Then, the Memsic on top would really be doing its job.

    Solar is dependent on size to make output. It you have it at the top of the robot it is 'top-heavy' and since silicon is glass - you may sustain damage. But, photo-diodes can be used to make a 'photovore' or 'photophobe' mode.

    I moved my Toddlers batteries to it's legs and have 3AAs on each leg. Better mechanical balance. The bottoms of the feet are another good location, but you have to split them 50/50 for balance.

    Ir/Ping/Twinkle Toes offer a nice combination for avoiding hazards.
    I would use the IR to see directly down at the front of the foot. This would avoid fall offs such as table edges and stairwells which would be included on a 'map'.

    I would use the Twinkle Toes to manage collisions and to additionally note on a map that their was an obstacle at that location,

    I would use the Ping to recognize distant pathways in a general sense and to recognize moving objects, but not put this stuff into the 'map' as it is ever changing.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    "When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)

    ······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan
Sign In or Register to comment.