CSC 126 Introduction to Robotics

 On the History of Robots

Objectives

Create a new Microsoft Word or text document named YourUserName-A1. Please do not use any other filename!

In this assignment, you will use your favorite web search engine, such as www.google.com, to learn about the history of robotics. For each question, be sure to put the answer into your own words, and give the reference page and the URL address reference.

Example Question: The first NASA Rover Robot to explore the surface of Mars was named after what real person and why was this name chosen?

Example Answer: NASA's "Mars Pathfinder Sojourner" robot was named after Sojourner Truth who was a Civil War Era African-American reformist. Sojourner Truth who made it her mission to "travel up and down the land," championing the rights of all people to be free and to participate fully in society, chose to change her name to Sojourner because it means "traveler." The name was chosen when a worldwide year-long competition was won by a 12-year old whose winning essay was about her herioine Sojourner Truth.
From: NASA Names First Rover to Explore the Surface of Mars at mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/rover/name.html.

Note that the reference is given and that the given example answer is PARAPHRASED, not copied!

Your task is to provide answers and their references to all of the following questions, being sure to number your answers.  This assignment must be completed individually, but you may consult with one another.

WARNING: COPIED answers or answers without references will recieve no credit.

  1. What are the history and origins of the word "robot" as it is used today?
  2. What is an android? Is every android a robot? Is every robot an android? Explain.
  3. What was the first robot to be sent to the moon? Who sent it? When was it sent? What were its capabilities?
  4. Name the two robots that were most recently sent to Mars by NASA. What are they currently doing on Mars?
  5. How has NASA used Labview software in robotic missions?
  6. What was the purpose of the first industrial robot and where was it used?
  7. Both cobots and robots are used on assembly lines. What is a "cobot" in this context? Compare and contrast cobots and robots.
  8. "Bot" has become a shortened form of the word "robot," and lately new "bots" have been showing up. What is an "internet bot" and how is it like a real robot?
  9. What did DARPA's 2004 Grand Challenge Race have to do with robots?  In a single paragraph describe the outcome of the race.
  10. In a single paragraph describe what happened in DARPA's 2005 Grand Challenge Race.
  11. What is an RCX brick? Who made it? How is it related to robotics?
  12. What is an AIBO and who made it?
  13. What is RoboCup and when was the first RoboCup tournament held?
  14. What is a Roomba? Who makes it? What makes it an important robotic device?
When you are finished, save the file as YourUserName-A1 and submit the file to the appropriate location in Blackboard.
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