The era of artificial intelligence implies the introduction of innovations on a global scale, and the military is no exception to the rule. The transformation of this field is expected with the adoption of new technology and, more specifically, robots on the battlefield, which are intended for increasing both efficiency and safety. However, the adoption of these autonomous systems has both advantages and drawbacks, and their implementation is desirable but requires careful consideration.
Limited Mobility
The limitations of robots include their insufficient mobility for performing operations. Since these machines depend on the decisions of soldiers, which cannot be fully performed by the former, this circumstance serves as a barrier to the use of automatons (Swett et al., 2021). For example, different tasks, such as aiming a gun, are still not quite effective without human interventions (Hodicky & Prochazka, 2017). Thus, it is unreasonable to suggest replacing people with robots until their capability to operate is on a high level.
Inability to Recharge on the Battlefield
Another problem, which is still to be solved by specialists before including autonomous systems in the work of the military, is the inability to recharge them on the battlefield. In this case, human-defined goals cannot be achieved because of this condition (Swett et al., 2021). In addition, the need for continuous movement as well as the unpredictability of the battles do not allow established charging stations. This inconvenience is not addressed by developers, and it does not allow relying on robots.
Complicated Transportation to the Battlefield
The use of automatons for military objectives does not seem reasonable from the perspective of complications connected to their transportation to the battlefield. It is evident that they can be useful for the specified purposes, but the absence of systems for delivering them is a clear drawback (Etzioni & Etzioni, 2017). It means that the suggested operations cannot be performed in a timely manner, which, in turn, increases the probability of losing wars.
Physical Objects
The principal obstacle to the introduction of robots on the battlefield is related to the impossibility of operating in the current environment. It is generally described as unstructured, and the presence of numerous physical objects, particularly in wooded areas, is a challenge for people controlling the autonomous systems (Hodicky & Prochazka, 2017). From this perspective, the element of surprise cannot be fully avoided, and this fact adversely affects long-term planning initiatives related to strategic military operations.
Transitioning from Water to Land and Air
The navigation in the context of the current environmental limitations means the existence of problems in transitioning robots from water to land and air. This challenge is also conditional upon the impossibility of predicting physical obstacles on their way, and it is linked to the above factor (Hodicky & Prochazka, 2017). It means that the trajectories of their movement are unlikely to be planned with precision, and their coordination with the surface is still to be examined and improved based on future findings.
Limited Communications
Another area of limitations is connected to communication issues deriving from the dubious reliability of human-robot interactions. In this case, any disruptions linked to the environmental factors can result in the failure to reach mission objectives, and the lack of clarity in terms of language and other regulations complicates the situation (Hodicky & Prochazka, 2017). Therefore, the inclusion of robots in operations on the battlefields seems unlikely until these obstacles are adequately addressed by developers of these automatons.
Reduced Risks to Soldiers
The described disadvantages are significant for the future success or failure of the suggested innovation, whereas it is clear that this measure is critical. Thus, the main advantage of robots for performing military operations is the possibility of reducing harm to people since their involvement in particularly risky projects will be limited. It can be ensured through the preference of these systems in initiatives, which are potentially dangerous for soldiers, and these missions will be more efficient (Etzioni & Etzioni, 2017). It is evident that all adverse consequences of individuals’ activity in the military can hardly be prevented. Nevertheless, the statistical decrease in the cases of injuries or lethal outcomes will improve its reputation for both employees and outsiders. In this way, fewer numbers of warfighters and the adoption of technology positively correlate with moral considerations, which can improve the overall conditions for employees.
Carrying Equipment
The prospective efficiency of robots on the battlefield is conditional upon their greater capacity in carrying military equipment, and this factor is sufficient justification for their development. Their introduction on the battlefield can be advantageous from the standpoint of the effectiveness of collective efforts, and the availability of technological solutions of this nature would positively correlate with the increase in strategic military options (Swett et al., 2021). In addition, researchers claim that the transformation of warfare will be mainly caused by these machines’ inclusion in long-distance operations, which require heavy facilities (Swett et al., 2021). It means that the improvements in this area in the future are possible only if the military encompasses automatic systems with greater capabilities than those of soldiers. Consequently, it will be feasible to expand the territory covered by troops, and this outcome will increase the chances of winning the battles in the long run.
Extended Areas of Control and Coverage
The extension of areas of control and coverage is connected to the above provision, which is the carrying capacity of robots. It is complemented by guaranteed access to previously unavailable remote areas for performing military operations, which will result in greater opportunities for movement (Etzioni & Etzioni, 2017). In this case, the success of the designed initiatives will be determined by the ability of employees to exercise control over the territories, which are critical for their operations. Subsequently, the strategic solutions of individuals involved in the planning process will be more advanced and, therefore, effective, and this factor will serve as a significant advantage in the battles as well as other projects.
Conclusion
To summarize, the adoption of robots for military purposes seems reasonable from multiple perspectives. First, their role in ensuring the safety of soldiers is critical and, hence, should not be underestimated, especially when long-term interventions are considered. Second, the efficiency of automatons in carrying equipment compared to the limitations of humans highlights the greater potential of strategic planners. Third, the extension of territories under military control with the help of these structures is needed for implementing a more significant number of solutions in practice. Apparently, the use of robots can be viewed as an inappropriate decision due to their limitations regarding mobility, recharging, transportation, communication, and interaction with the physical environment. However, these concerns can be efficiently addressed over time, and the introduction of the described systems will bring more benefits than drawbacks.
Hodicky, J., & Prochazka, D. (2017). Challenges in the implementation of autonomous systems into the battlefield. In 2017 International Conference on Military Technologies (ICMT) (pp. 743-747). IEEE.
Swett, B. A., Hahn, E. N., & Llorens, A. J. (2021). Designing robots for the battlefield: State of the art. In J. von Braun, M. S. Archer, G. M. Reichberg & M. S. Sorondo (Eds.), Robotics, AI, and humanity: Science, ethics, and politics (pp. 132-146). Springer.
We propose to design a wireless robotic car system using advanced technology. Such a system can be implemented in various ways; here we nominate a prototype for this system taking possible subsequent improvements of the system into account. In this prototype, the task is to design a robotic car that can be controlled by a computer using wireless communication technology.The robot has a vision facility that uses a ‘live webcam’ which can not only observe the nearby surroundings but also, transfer it to a computer.
The robot can be controlled in several ways, with movements ranging up to 100m. This robot should be able to move forward, backward, right turn, left turn, reduce or increase speed. Since the robot is a wireless system, transmitters and receivers should be designed to satisfy the system features. Also, the system will provide live video streaming using a built-in camera that has the capability to provide night vision.
People usually would not take the risk of walking into a building wired with explosives, but would rather have someone or something do the job. For this reason a robotic car will come in handy for these kinds of dangerous jobs and even more.
The idea is to have a robotic car controlled wirelessly via a computer. The mechanical structure of the robot body will be based on an off shelf electric car. The car body is used only along with the wheels. The system will be controlled by a special microcontroller. This microcontroller will allow the user to control the direction, movement, and speed of the car. In addition, the microcontroller has a means of communication. A camera will also be installed on top of the car to provide a live stream video.
A Microcontroller is a small computer. It consists of a simple central processing unit (CPU), input and output ports, clocks, timers, memory and is incorporated on a single integrated circuit. It is therefore basically a central processor on a single chip. Also included in the microprocessor chip is some program memory and a small RAM. The small size and simplicity associated with microprocessors therefore makes them suitable for small applications. Many microprocessors can however be combined to perform many dedicated duties in complex systems as used in PCs. Microprocessors operate at very low clock rate speeds and therefore consume minimal power. These makes them particularly appropriate for battery operations that last for long hours because they have the ability to continue functioning while waiting for actions such as button actuations. Their power consumption while inactive is jus in nano watts making them perfect for application in Robotics. Typically, microprocessors are used in devices that can be controlled automatically like implantable medical devices, remote controls, office appliances, toys, power tools and automobile engine control systems. They make it possible to control to more devices and processes digitally yet at a lower cost in comparison to designs that use different microprocessors, memory and I/O devises. The ROM incorporated in the microcontroller stores data and programs developed to run the project.
Many of the available microcontrollers in the market have a minimum of 8 digital I/O lines with some having up to 32.All these are important in many a[application but the list below shows some important features important for use in robotics:
A/D (Analogue digital converter).This is vital in the project because it would allow signals sent from sensors on the robot to be outputted as analogue values that can then be interpreted for use and/or display.
A good serial port is very important because it aids in program development and in debugging. This would help in the development of programs that would be used to smartly control the robot. It could be programmed to automatically change direction for example in case it encounters an obstacle.
For smooth operation of the motors in direction and pulse, 8 bits are required in the least. Four for input and four for the output. From the above literature above, microcontrollers support a lot more than this and this would be a valuable feature.
Good timer sections are also very good as they aid in taking measurements and displaying waveforms.
Chips that would find favour among robotics engineers must also have a variety of peripherals that might include timer modules and onboard serial ports. This allows foe flexibility and adaptation in the event of any changes in design. If a chip can start in bootstrap mode, it can the n allow the user to download software directly onto the onboard RAM using the serial port. This eliminates the need for programming hardware which comes at an additional cost. Sensors on the other hand are used to translate measurable quantities into a language understood by a computer. They could be analogue or digital in nature. A good chip should have a digital analogue converter to allow for flexibility in the use of materials that may be dictated by the cost.
Embedded systems consist of a microprocessor that has its own memory and peripherals.The only thing that needs to be added to the system is a program to run it [1].
Wireless Cameras on the other hand cameras mostly used for different modes of surveillance systems and other mobile appliances that require cameras. Video transmitters and receivers are essential in enabling wireless video transmission. In-built video transmitters are used to send video signals to remote receivers through specific frequencies. This signal is then relayed onto a monitor that displays the video. The fact that these cameras are wireless makes them valuable in mobile applications because then the interference to smooth navigation by long cables is eliminated.
A Wireless transceiver module is a device that converts radio frequency commands from X10 remote controls and other cordless movement detectors to X10 signals that are then easily relayed over the regular wired networks. These modules can therefore allow for control of different appliances remotely. It is often used in control of home appliances. The above described wireless technology is what is expected to be applied in order to come up with a sound project that can be remotely controlled. The wireless video cameras will allow for easy monitoring and aid in navigating the robotic car.
The first step performed was the research part in which it provided a look at the different and latest technologies to implement such a system and to get the best methodology. Two possible approaches to implement the system were considered. The first approach is to use a remote controlled car with a handheld controller. This approach utilizes a video camera and controls the car by transmitters and receivers with same frequency singles. The direction of the camera can be adjusted via the transmitter using a handheld remote control. The second approach is a remote controlled robot using a computer as a controller. In this approach a video camera is used to transmit the robot position and movement to a computer which can be used to control the functions and the movements of the robot. The transmitted and received signals are on different frequencies to prevent interference.
Problem Statement
To implement a wireless robotic car that can be controlled by computer with coverage up to 100 meter. The movement of the car will be conducted using wireless communication technology between the microcontroller and a computer. In video streaming, the content is sent over the internet and allows the receiver to directly view it without having to download the content first [2].This is the technology used to enable users listen to live radio over the internet. Video streaming however has its disadvantages especially in terms of bandwidth. Unless there is sufficient bandwidth, the users are not able to receive acceptable video quality [3]. Also streaming at low speeds results in frequent video ‘hanging’ [4].
Project Scope
The assumption made here is that there are some places with explosives or even radioactive rays which affect human health. In addition, it can be used for military purposes such as spying missions and for places inaccessible to people. The wireless controls incorporated in the system will ensure safety in times when human life is at threat in the event that the person enters a danger zone. The Robotic car could be used to monitor danger zones like areas affected by gas leaks so long as the gases involved are not flammable. This is vital in situations where there might be some casualties that could survive but cannot be seen owing to the reduced vision brought about by the gases that in most cases are coloured. The wheels on the robotics car are also another good invention because these together with the live video streaming would enable easy navigation of the car into area as long as staircases are not involved. The video stream would also allow the person controlling the car to navigate it easily around obstacle and to the target destination fast. The batteries to be used on this project will allow the car to move around quite a long distance because there would be no need for a cable connecting it to a power source. This is vital in navigation because it eliminates the risk of the car intertwining with the cable to make navigation a problem.
Implementation and testing Plan
The implementation process will be as follows:
Implement the robot body and test that motors and wheels are in good working condition
Prepare the wireless camera and test how the camera functions and how it operates and behaves on certain environments using the software that comes along with the camera.
Implement the wireless transceiver and test its reliability by first connecting between two computers and then between a computer and microcontroller.
Prepare the code and test it in the microcontroller and insure it is working.
Implement the final PCB on the car and test the functionality of the car.
Create graphic user interface to be able to control the robot allowing easy control and simple view.
Project schedule
One of the key elements of success in any project is planning. It is crucial to define all the tasks that need to be accomplished with the purpose of completing the project. As regards the tasks to be fulfilled, a Gantt chart was created as below:
Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 2 Project schedule
Economic analyses
Economic analysis is defined as a means of determining the usefulness of a product by comparing one or more alternatives in achieving a set objective [5]. This takes into focus the cost of the input into the project in terms of resources, time, knowledge and expertise.The monetary value of the product is also brought into focus with special attention paid to the social and implication of the project [6].
In terms of the economic impact it would have on society, the robotic car is built with the aim reducing human casualties besides being able to monitor boring activities. In instances of fires for example, the robot could be used to monitor large areas because of its ability to stream videos. This could be a complimentary service in addition to use of fire detectors which in most cases rely on smoke detectors. The huge losses incurred during fire incidents would therefore be greatly cut. It has also been suggested above that the robot could be used for spy missions by the military and secret security agencies. The economic impact of this would be immense.Once the robot is cleared for mass production; the cost of producing one spy robot would be very little in comparison to the investment put into training a man to carry out spy missions. The investment in training a human both in terms of time and money is a lot. Owing to all these benefits, the resources, time, knowledge and expertise invested in developing the robotic car would surely be well spent if the project is successful.
Works Cited
Economic analysis, Definitions, 2010, Web.
Economic Analysis of Federal Regulations, 2010, Web.
Guglielmo, C, (1998), Streaming Debate: The Real Fallout, Inter@ctive. Web.
Heath, S, Embedded systems design, EDN series for design engineers 2 edn, Newnes, 2002.
Larson, D, Does Multimedia Have a Dark Side? Webdeveloper,1996, Web.
Boston Dynamics’ Spot Robot Dog – initially showcased by the company on June 23, 2016.
Boston Dynamics is a US engineering company founded in 1992, which works on the development of predominantly robot and Artificial Intelligence technologies.
Spot is a four-legged robot that evolved from SpotMini (the initial version) that offers multiple capabilities of operation, including climbing, jumping, walking, and carrying average-size cargo, such as boxes, as well as surveying the space around itself thanks to a robust software installed.
Technology-push or demand-pull?
The innovation represents a technology-push, which is expected to transform into demand-pull in the future because customers will demand more robots to be made;
Not all customers can purchase the Spot at the moment;
Boston Dynamics has many requirements for potential buyers (Guizzo, 2019);
The predominant focus of the innovation is targeting businesses that can use the technology for improving their operations;
Boston Dynamics are selective of their potential customers because of the scarcity of robots in the market.
Marketing: The Positive
The Spot has massive opportunities for marketing because the demand is high while the supply is low;
Boston Dynamics can pick and choose between potential clients to choose the most suitable ones to use the innovation;
At this time, the robot is not available for personal use, which makes it acquisition even more appealing for customers considered by Boston Dynamics (Hill, 2019);
Through being a leader in the market of robotics, the company prioritizes collaboration with businesses because of the wide potential of its application at companies.
Marketing: The Challenging
Regular consumers who want to get the Spot will most likely be rejected by Boston Dynamics;
The technology push implemented by the company introduced a new product to the market, thus encouraging the creation of potential competition;
The requirements to be eligible to purchase the robot are extensive;
The sphere of robotics is not fully understood by consumers;
The Spot is produced in small quantities at the moment, which means that not all customers can be accommodated.
Robots are becoming more common in industrial settings because their capabilities outweigh human ones. They are accurate, reliable, and able to handle heavy loads, making them reduce the work expected of individuals within a given work setting. They also increase production in areas that perform repetitive jobs, thus increasing the output of a manufacturing company. Programs are used to make robots behave similarly to the human arm. The current project aims to design and develop a robotic arm that draws 3D objects from data input or sensors. The machine is programmed using MATLAB, Arduino IDE, and the DoBot interfaces with the computer through Arduino Mega Board.
Keywords
Introduction
Three-dimensional printing involves manufacturing materials using additive technology, which helps build given materials by continuously adding one layer to another to form various parts of the whole. It is directly opposite to the type of manufacturing achieved by removing parts from the whole lump. Three-dimensional printing is categorized into five: extrusion, light polymerization, electron beam freeform fabrication, laminated object manufacturing1,2,3, and powder bed.[1] Fused deposition modeling or FDM is the most used technique in 3D printing and is the method applied in this project. It involves slicing different parts into layers, which are then translated into machine language for the printer to understand. The hot end of the printer melts the material and embeds it onto the surface onto the intended surface. The melted material solidifies, and more layers are added accordingly to produce the final part.
Robotic arms are connected segmented machines controlled by the computer, motors, and hydraulics. Such robots are primarily used in industrial applications where repetitive work requires heavy labor. Such machines can be integrated with various sensors that measure position and velocity and respond appropriately to feedback based on the input received. Other robotic arms may use cameras as their input mode and convert the signals to computer-understandable language. This project uses simple input sensors that detect shapes, distance, and degrees of freedom. The primary objective of this study is to explore robotics by making a machine that can draw a 3D design.
The current project gives critical information that helps to guide designers on ways of developing 3D printing robots. Most research in the past has focused on robots from the perspective of humanoids to enable them to replace people doing repetitive jobs. More studies have helped improve the approaches to robotic developments, making it more straightforward for subsequent developers to get critical insights that improve robotics for better performance. The areas enhanced by studies include programming and debugging methods, which have made the final machines more advanced and ready for the intended use.
The current project used some critical movement theories to help in achieving a perfect combination of the parts of the robotic arm, such that they achieved a perfect motion needed for the combined parts, such as the hand, elbow, and shoulder, with each part moving in any position direction make a perfectly solid object. The research also utilized the Arduino development board to interface the programs written and the physical parts. Arduino was considered for the project because of its ease of programming, which requires basic knowledge of C and C++. The current project uses the Arduino Mega board to translate the program that runs the board’s microcontroller.
Background of the Project
Robotic arms are inevitable in the present world where industries are using complex machines. The mechanization of factories requires machines that work synchronously to help achieve the highest possible production rate. Apart from the need to interface machines for better output, various tasks require heavy lifting, which limits humans’ possibility, hence requiring robots. Moreover, there are instances in which getting specific measures and calculations of materials may be problematic for workers, which can slow the process of resulting in faults in the final products. A 3D robotic arm is designed to determine the various measures of the object to reproduce and the specific amount of material required to make the object.[1] It can also be fed with data and utilized the information to create something incredibly impossible by human hands within the shortest time possible.
Programs used to run robots can be changed from time to time to meet the company’s specific needs. Consequently, the functions of the arms can be changed to fit the required work or environment. For instance, it is possible to make a 3D robotic arm function as a 2D drawing robot, according to the specific needs of the programmer. For instance, a 2D robot uses only length and width to reproduce an object and draw a new one corresponding to the information fed to its terminals. A 3D arm, therefore, uses an additional orientation and depth to introduce the plane that makes the output a solid object. On the other hand, their speeds can also be adjusted to meet the specifications and production rates of the factory. Using the principles of three-dimensional symmetry, the programmer can create a robot that creates the exact material with a specified thickness in various complex parts of the object. For instance, an object with holes within the solid part can effectively be printed with the exact measurements fed into the computer, thus producing a feature-specific output fitting the industrial application.
The current project uses DoBot to produce an industrial-ready robot. The robot is mainly for training, giving learners a practical understanding of robotic arms, from code to specific designs and debugging. The robot operates using simple instructions from the provided interface, depending on the operator’s needs. Since the object uses layers, one can use it for writing and drawing 2D objects as this involves using printing of a single thin ink layer. The project uses the Arduino Mega board as its main component. It acts as the interface for the visible and invisible parts of the robot and has a special memory that stores instructions that keep the robot delivering its intended goals. The development board uses simple programming languages, including C and C++, making it one of the most straightforward approaches to producing non-industrial robots.
The board has input and output pins that help in connecting the computer and the robotic arm, thus facilitating the communication the user feeds to the computer and the response the arm gives in printing the object intended by the user. Thus, the Arduino Mega board used in these cases helps the user to control the DoBot. The project also utilized a secure digital (SD) card to help store the file robot should draw. The Arduino Mega board then reads the information stored in the card and translates that data into a drawing using the robotic arm. In addition, the project used the TOF sensor shown in Figure 1 below to detect the object and save the 3D version of the object on the SD card. The Arduino then translates the saved object into a sequence that DoBot understands for drawing.
Figure 1. TOF sensor
Methods
The project involved several steps, including purchasing the items required, iterative design, choosing the best programming language, designing the DoBot control system, assembling and installing the heated bed, and testing all the system parts. The details of each of these steps are provided in the sections below. However, each part of the process was a little more complex than summarized in the sections.
Decision Regarding Components
The initial step involved comprehensive research regarding crucial components required to make a 3D printing robot. Each part required was determined based on the preliminary design and drawing of the parts. The components and their respective costs were determined, including the feasibility of the development.
Iterative Design
The iterative design approach was used to create and customize the components needed for the project. The idea was brainstormed, and feasibility of the project was discussed, and a perfect design was selected. The design was then created using computer-aided design (CAD) software. The components were adjusted to meet the specifications of the final project. The effectiveness of the parts was tested and adjusted appropriately or remade to match all the other components. The design processes included mounting angle, mounting system, idler system, extruder assembly, and driving mechanism.
The decision of the Programming Language
The process involved familiarizing the robot to understand how it works based on the information it receives and the outputs it produces. The process also involved analyzing the pros and cons of the different programming methods that were researched and how they could impact the cost and feasibility of the project. The simplest programming method, which is C, was then used to program the robot as it was the best technique for using the Arduino Mega board shown in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2. The Arduino Mega Board used in the project
The Robot System Design
The control method for the 3D printer was determined to be the G-code, created using the slicing algorithm. However, since the robot could not execute the code, the solutions for each component were analyzed to understand a better control system fitting the project. When the prototype was completed, the entire system was reexamined to ensure that each component was suitable for its specific purpose and placement. The G-code was then translated through a series of iterations by adding new codes and testing them before adding more features. The program final program was then compiled and simulated, and saved to the SD card, which was mounted on the SD card shield shown in Figure 3 below.
Figure 3. SD card shield
The extruder control was brainstormed to ensure easy and quick ways to control the temperature of the hot end. The coordinate frame was configured according to the manufacturer’s documentation, and a quick test was performed to ensure everything worked correctly. Finally, the robot’s control system was implemented using smaller subsystems, which ensured a lean approach to design, implementation, and tests of every component before they were combined to form the complete version of the robotic arm. The project utilized the DoBot magician shown in Figure 4 below as the arm of the robot.
Figure 4. The DoBot used in the project.
Assembly and Installation of the Headed Bed
The project considered using a heated bed because of the tendency of the material used in the printing curling and the need to achieve error-free printing. The heated bed was also designed through an iteration design. All the parts were effectively fitted, and a custom-made design with the required heat distribution was achieved and embedded in the robot. The final connection was achieved by connecting the systems, as shown in Figure 5 below.
Figure 5. Connections of Arduino to DoBot
The software part of the project is also provided below. First, MATLAB was used to run and simulate the project as it provided the interface through which the 3D object was processed. The following code was used in the MATLAB software to process the object the sensor picked.
regionSize=5; %Region size
INPUT = ‘image1.jpg’; %Load image
in_img = imread(INPUT);
in_img = rgb2gray(in_img);
[sizeX,sizeY] = size(in_img); %Check if image is square
% Calculate relative displacement between neighboring path points for stepper
motor commands and save to text file
xPath=-xPath;
yPath=yPath;
xPathRel=diff(xPath);
yPathRel=diff(yPath);
textFile=fopen(‘drawing.txt’,’w’); %Create new file called drawing.txt
for i=1:1:size(xPathRel,2) %Write alternativing X,Y waypoints on new lines
fprintf(textFile, ‘%dn’, yPathRel(i));
fprintf(textFile, ‘%dn’, xPathRel(i));
end
fclose(textFile); %Close the text file
The Arduino integrated development environment (IDE) was used to write program that helped the Arduino Mega Board to communicate with the DoBot, as shown below.
#include “stdio.h”
#include “Protocol.h”
#include “command.h”
#include “FlexiTimer2.h”
//Set Serial TX&RX Buffer Size
#define SERIAL_TX_BUFFER_SIZE 64
#define SERIAL_RX_BUFFER_SIZE 256
/#define JOG_STICK
EndEffectorParams gEndEffectorParams;
JOGJointParams gJOGJointParams;
JOGCoordinateParams gJOGCoordinateParams;
JOGCommonParams gJOGCommonParams;
JOGCmd gJOGCmd;
PTPCoordinateParams gPTPCoordinateParams;
PTPCommonParams gPTPCommonParams;
PTPCmd gPTPCmd;
uint64_t gQueuedCmdIndex;
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
Serial1.begin(115200);
printf_begin();
//Set Timer Interrupt
FlexiTimer2::set(100,Serialread);
FlexiTimer2::start();}
void Serialread()
{ while(Serial1.available()) {
uint8_t data = Serial1.read();
if (RingBufferIsFull(&gSerialProtocolHandler.rxRawByteQueue) == false) {
The project used Arduino Mega Board to interface the computer and the robotic arm. The program was successfully written and downloaded and was simulated without errors. The development board sent the required signal to the DoBot robot, thus successfully reproducing a 3D model based on the program in the Arduino IDE.
Conclusion
The current project has successfully implemented a 3D printing machine. However, the entire work was marred with various issues around technical specifications and interfacing. This made it challenging to complete the entire goal of the project, which was to produce a machine that could draw a 3D object. However, this problem is mainly associated with limited time, given that more simulations will follow to ensure effective debugging of the system to give better outcomes. The project’s overall objective has been achieved as the robot could draw some simple objects. The main issue that limited the effectiveness of the project was the sensor, revealing the need for a more powerful one, such as a camera, as it would result in better image object processing.In a Word 2013/2016 document, insert a picture.
Reference
Chaudhry, M. Salman and Aleksander Czekanski, 2021. Tool Path Generation for Free Form Surface Slicing In Additive Manufacturing/Fused Filament Fabrication. In ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (Vol. 85567, p. V02BT02A021). American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Footnotes
Chaudhry, M. Salman and Aleksander Czekanski, 2021. Tool Path Generation for Free Form Surface Slicing In Additive Manufacturing/Fused Filament Fabrication. In ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (Vol. 85567, p. V02BT02A021). American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Web.
There is a regular shortage of labor in Japan. Robots will help to increase the labor force in the country in the future. Avatar robots can help enhance the human abilities more, especially in information networking. Avatars can help increase our presence in different locations without being physically present. There are two types of robots: fully autonomous robots and three operated robot avatars. Robots increase the ability to gather conversational data and human productivity. Humanoid robots can help us understand the higher cognitive human functions especially in the education and hospital sector.
Strategies for Implementation in Government Entities or Abu Dhabi Government
Robots will be used to increase the productivity of human labor within the government sector and help in speeding up the data collection process. In healthcare centers, robots will promote service delivery and public communication. Robots will also be used to improve relationships with the public, creating a better understanding of people’s needs and wants. Robots will also be used to create better learner understanding, improving performance abilities and skills. Robots reduce risks in the military or during medical emergencies.
How can we Design Smart Cities?
The use of drones improves navigation abilities and results in improved power utilization efficiency. There is Improved sustainability, reduction of climate pollution, and faster service delivery. Development of an economy to fight poverty and improving solidarity in cities. There is need to develop more proximities for the people and increasing availability of local resources to the people. Need to develop tangible smart city strategies and plans to realize the goals of developing smart cities in the world. Focusing on mobility, safety, speed, cost, productivity in developing plans for smart cities.
Smart cities can be applied by:
Improving navigation around cities improves service delivery to the people, especially the delivery of healthcare services and medications.
Reducing negative environmental impacts that may result in adverse climate change.
Improving sustainability and productivity of the people through creating a more sustainable and diverse economy with more opportunities for the people.
Availing more local resources to the people, such as infrastructure, education facilities, and healthcare services.
What can Governments Learn from the Service Sector?
Increasing human population causes challenges to natural resources such as access to healthcare services and other essential scarce public resources. Creation of communities with more sense of belonging and wider interactions between people to facilitate positive growth of the economy. Improving infrastructure to facilitate sustainable living through the creation of better and more advanced technologies that facilitate human productivity. Constant need to redesign our cities to improve access and mobility due to recent changes brought about by the pandemic. Need to understand the culture and aspirations of society to understand the need and driver for change. Need for increased cooperation with the private sector.
The information can be applied in government by:
Increasing interactions with the people to gain feedback to improve service delivery and project management.
Creating better-designed cities to facilitate survival and accessibility to resources even during the pandemic.
Creating better-designed facilities and cities to help fulfill the aspirations of the people and cater to the most urgent public needs.
Increasing success in service delivery to the public to attract more investors to the country.
Improving cooperation with the private sector.
Omni-economy
Need to stand by vulnerable people and facilitate faster aid delivery to those in need. Trust people specialized in delivering aid to rebel countries and countries faced with high-security risks. There is a need to create a more resilient economy where people still spend despite the economic situation. The central bank has been tightening up financial conditions resulting in a trim down of inflation levels. Monetary tightening to cushion against the risks of inflation and the presence of increasing levels of unemployment. There is a relentless pursuit of reforms within the Gulf countries on how they generate and spend revenue. Need to open up more opportunities for private investments.
Omni-economy can be applied by:
Coming up with measures to cushion against adverse effects of inflation, such as increasing unemployment of the people.
Increasing the level of participation for the private investors and sectors to help boost the growth of the economy.
Creating more job opportunities for the people through the facilitation of private investments in the country and the creation of a level playing competition for all players in the market.
Increasing the level of preparedness in response to disasters through the creation of a reserve economy to cater to emergencies and pandemics.
Stimulating the growth of the private sector.
What Should Leaders Learn from History?
Constant changes in the technological sector are due to increasing innovative forces that cause a loss of the preservation balance. The Spanish had a lot of momentum from the war machine designed to crush the Muslim South, which caused to loss of many Muslim lives. The loss of preservation force results in catastrophic results; thus, the need to maintain a manageable change of the force is present. We should reference historical data to gain insight into how to handle present circumstances and situations. The incredible U.S. economy and the education system caused the great revolution of 1960. Need to be able to operate within the rate of change of the preservation force.
Through this, the government can be applied by:
Coming up with mechanisms to ensure manageable adoption of technology to avoid the adverse negative effects associated with the loss of preservation force.
Bridging the gap between the rich and the poor through the provision of equal opportunities and privilege for all the society.
Improving the education system to increase knowledge and diversification of student skills and abilities.
Developing resources to ensure self-sufficiency.
Data Visualization
Data visualization facilitates a better understanding of data and helps reveal interesting and important concepts. Visualization helps us to see the scale of a pandemic and the response to fighting the pandemic. People can now easily use visualization to scale down large figures into readable and easily understandable figures. Helps improve data clarity making data easier to present and increasing data response. Review and recording of important data records for reference in the future, for example, health records. Visualization helps to save space as it only takes up a little bit of space to store enormous amounts of data that can be interpreted in a faster and more convenient way.
Data visualization can be applied in government to:
Calculate budget revenues and keep a track record of the efficiency of utilization to ensure that government resources are utilized effectively.
Plan and allocate resources based on the people’s needs and the population level within the region.
Facilitate faster revenue collection based on the net income of the people and businesses in the region.
Developing strategies for local businesses to compete in the foreign market based on data visualization of the performance of other similar companies in the foreign market.
Breakthrough Technologies
Exponential and data are intrusive components of everyday human life which can also be a major challenge. Exponential problems such as pandemics require fast decision-making, which can only be facilitated by adopting technology to combat these technological problems. We have to face the weakness in the exponential challenge we are facing to effectively eliminate the challenge. We must adopt an exponential curve as a fundamental planning tool to solve the challenges. The six innovation challenges include reaction versus production, disruption, the tyranny of voting, principles, truth, and isolation in virtual worlds.
Breakthrough technologies will be applied in government by:
Making important and rapid decisions during an emergency to help respond to any security and hazard risks.
Predicting future events and ensuring proper preparedness in terms of resources and personnel.
Developing and establishing quality voting systems to overcome challenges resulting from the tyranny of voting.
Empowering people by keeping them informed of crucial events and news and advocating for embracing new technology.
The Craft of Storytelling
There is a need to develop real policies for the creative arts as an industry and give it the seriousness it deserves. Creative art has helped generate wealth and jobs and has the potential to be a future-proofing industry. Governments in Africa need to operate policies that will allow young people to be bolstered into an industry. Creative arts act as a catalyst for people to acknowledge and develop their talents. The government needs to create a task force to determine what the youth would like to do in the presence of a creative industry.
The craft of storytelling will be applied in government by:
Promoting local talent and any form of creative art.
Developing creative arts forums focused on educating the public on major issues and challenges facing the region and showing various ways to solve the challenges.
Nurturing the culture and values of the country and helping increase diversity and cultural acceptance in different parts of the world.
Creating job opportunities for the people and generating revenue for the government.
AI & Governments
Realism and technology offer great benefits to the world, and their incorporation in the public sector may help facilitate service delivery. Through technological innovations such as the use of V.R., medical students are able to learn and develop their medical skills. Augmented reality will help bridge the geographical distance between people and facilitate easier and real-life conversations between people in different parts of the world. AI will help businesses in generating their advertisements, thus saving on costs and ads incurred in developing these ads. AI allows service providers to rank content in a way to ensure that the consumer only views the most relevant and enjoyable content.
The government can apply AI by:
Simulating real-life experiences in training students to test their field ability, especially those involved in high-risk or crucial sectors that require professionalism.
Increasing the level of involvement by all members of the government in participating and attending to duties despite the geographical distance.
Facilitating interactions with the public.
Public service delivery through directing requests.
Is This The End of Globalization?
The greatest challenge today to global growth is the forces of fragmentation. More countries are putting emphasis on national priorities. Fragmentation leads to frustrations and tension, while there are a number of geopolitical factors that lead to the slowing down of foreign direct investment and slowing down of trade. In the past years, the economy has slowed down. The Covid-19 pandemic worsened the case for most economies and wiped out some of them. Factors such as high inflation rates, high-interest rates, and geopolitical wars contribute to global economic suffering. More countries invested in their defense after the Ukraine-Russia war than before. This means there is less domestic money for education, healthcare, and infrastructure. There is less money to support the poor world.
Globalization can be applied in government by increasing pragmatic collaborations to increase cooperation between nations in a multipolar world. It can also be applied to take advantage of the fragmentation of the eastern and western world to create opportunities for its strong financial systems. The UAE has to spearhead being agile and resilient at all levels. Have resilient people and a resilient society where there is access and fair distribution of opportunities to everybody.
Everyone Wants Sustainable Health
From the Covid-19 pandemic, people globally learned to plan appropriately, have proper strategies, resilient systems, flexible systems, and take care of families. Each country has a unique set of vulnerabilities and strengths vulnerability in population, underlying healthcare, exposure of the system, and its ability to cope. Governments do not have sustained funding for health projects and often when hit by a crisis they struggle to raise funding to counter the crisis. In a crisis, to make a difference, there is a need to protect communities and provide safe and scalable clinical care. Countries deal with threats differently due to various factors.
Greater focus on science and data-driven decision policies, research and development, and international corporation in resolving the global pandemic. The government will engage the social societies, private sectors, and public sector and put a plan for crisis management in case of future crises. The government will also budget and provide sustainability and finance projects that are more like to be stuck by a crisis, like the primary healthcare system and improvement of equipment. The government will innovate a laboratory network with a simpler technology where the laboratories can work together and prepare for a global pandemic.
Africa: The World’s Next Global Economic Shaper
African countries are not included in many global organizations and, more importantly, the security council. The war on Ukraine by Russia has had a great impact on Africa since the war has destabilized economies and the global supply chain. Most African countries remained neutral to the war since the economies of both countries had a significant impact on Africa. African countries continue to fight hunger and terrorists; hence they choose peace. Africa has the will to mediate between the two countries to work towards peace which would promote food security in Africa. African countries suffer from overpricing of risks where they have to pay a lot of premium while accessing capital from other countries. Africa is graded as a high-risk continent to invest in due to the debts that African countries owe to other nations despite Africa’s efforts to settle them.
I will use the information to change our perception of Africa and show the benefits of investing in the continent. I will also promote African developmental institutions that understand the continent better to help create a better perception of African and the potential of its economy. I will also push for measures to invest in Africa in a plan to expand its international market.
The Virtual World and Governments Leadership and Creativity
Society is evolving with the need for people to connect, which has led to the development of a virtuous society. The main concept about the virtue society is how the virtual and interactive experience is consumed and how its appeals are. The virtual society allows people to be part of a broader community beyond their geographical location. It is challenging to bring people of the local and physical culture into the virtual society. Virtual societies are built on the basis of interoperability, where the simulations of virtual societies are borrowed from physical reality. In the past few years people have interacted in a virtual society. Tech companies are integrating positive experiences, tools, and moderators to ensure the safety of the users while in virtual societies.
The government will set the direction for the tech companies to subsidize their products to allow many investors to industrialize virtual societies.
I will ensure high-tech companies invest reasonably in regulations and the safety of the virtual societies they create.
The government will place knowledgeable individuals to study virtual societies so that they can understand and manage the use of virtual societies.
The government will stipulate the right content that will be relayed to the users of any virtual society without interfering with the information being passed out.
A Conversation with Elon Musk
Social media platforms should adhere to the regulations of countries and not try to bend the regulations put in place. They should also reflect the actual values of the people. Social media platforms have been known to spread mass misinformation on social issues like politics and spread hate between nations or people. The state of technology has been growing rapidly in the last ten years and continues to grow with the need for industrialization to adopt green energy. Often regulators enact safety measures after something goes wrong, whereas in terms of artificial intelligence, the risk might be slow such that it may not be detected by the regulators. However, the outcome might be very drastic.
The government will communicate much on social media platforms to allow the citizens to engage with them often. This will open up for authenticity since most of the citizens can comment on government dealings. The government will not try to control the information being spread as cases of propaganda will arise. Artificial intelligence is rapidly gaining traction, requiring regulations.
The government will regulate child use of content.
Beyond 2023: A Global Outlook
Globalization today is challenged by the structural decline of Russia, China’s rise to the global economy, and the number of people stuck in the middle class in both developed and developing countries due to various reasons. The world’s globalization challenges themselves are contained by the alliances the countries involved make with other nations. Such alliances include countries getting involved with the US due to security reasons while the same countries get an alliance with China for purposes of trade and technology. Globalization is not threatened by the sharp confrontation between the powerful states which are trying to compete for global power since the interdependence between the countries strengthens it. Most countries are focused on nationalization.
The government will take the initiative to make strong its national policies and improve its ranking in the global trade order. The government should adopt technology in its geopolitics since it opens up the nation to other open societies which are more diverse and democratic. The government will look forward to transitioning to technology as the global order in the next few years will change, and the government has to be with it to compete with other powerful nations.
Creating an Unstoppable Mindset
To succeed in anything you put yourself to is to recognize that you have a biological experience. You have to gain control of your biology and mind. To become whatever you want, you have to pay an extraordinary price. To achieve an extraordinary thing, you have to reach for a remarkable achievement. Humans are the ultimate adaptation machine. Develop the skillset that matches your ambitions and have the choice to believe it’s possible to achieve them. Put time and energy into getting better, and you will get better. Get control of your emotions and decide what you are not good at and turn it into skills that align with your goals. Failure is the most obvious outcome. The physics of progress is everything, always and forever.
The government will provide an environment for people to work and gain experience in their biology. Provide the skills for people to learn so that they can become who they want to be. Adopt a technology that will help people to improve themselves and their roles at work. The government will attract investors to invest in local jobs and promote them to the external markets.
Today, humanity’s best minds are engaged in developing artificial intelligence. The most modern and advanced technical capacities are devoted to improving the qualities and capabilities of robots – machines designed to make human life easier. However, many are concerned about whether automation will eventually replace humans in all processes and whether it will displace the still dominant Homo Sapiens from the world pedestal: this paper will look at the problem from a perspective of reality, not science fiction.
Some time ago, scientists concluded that the creation of full-fledged artificial intelligence is impossible in the foreseeable future. They explained this by saying that so far, there is not enough computer power to process an array of data and operations similar to those occurring in the head of a human being. In addition, these processes’ connection, structure, and general functioning principles are not thoroughly known. When humanity completes, a study of the brain is also unknown. The point of giving the example of A.I. is that its creation is based on human thinking. The developers are trying to implement the brain, the human mind, in a digital environment.
Paying attention to mechanical machines, commonly called “robots”, can be seen that they are created in the image and likeness of humans. Even in manufacturing, where the primitive devices began to be used, they all performed human functions. They were called accordingly – a “robotic arm” for handling products, a “robot-loader” for loading weights, and the like. They can work almost without interruption but are exceptionally specialized and require constant supervision.
Based on the above, humans create a robot based on the principle of their own functioning. Technology, neither now nor in the near future, will be able to ensure that a robot will completely copy a human in everything physically, let alone in its thinking. Worries about a robot replacing humans in all spheres make no sense since this is science fiction, and the robot will not be able to become a separate thinking unit. Over time, more dangerous or inconvenient tasks will be transferred by humans to automation, but it will need constant supervision, maintenance, and other assistance. Human beings will probably have more time for spiritual and cultural development, which is, according to many people, the main goal of humanity’s existence. And man’s place in a future full of robots is in the center of this future, as it always has been.
In the contemporary world, people are trying to find solutions to various things through technology. The invention of robotics to replace the human being in doing some chores has brought controversies in the society. Essentially, robots are machineries that think and act like human beings in tough situations. Robots have replaced the human being in performing dull, dirty, and dangerous jobs. People have always questioned the mischief that the robots may cause if things go differently than planned.
Indeed, robotic errors can cause serious damages that are irreversible. Physical injuries, for example, are irreversible and the mischief can even cause massive deaths. However, as this paper will discuss, the number of people who want to have things done automatically has risen significantly; therefore, the development of robotics is quite helpful.
Robotics for the disabled
In any society, disabled people are unable to carry on with their daily errands because of their inability. Small children with chronic heart or lung disorders, for example, find it difficult to attend school and intermingle with other children. Parents would find it worthwhile to tutor their disabled children at home, but the system is somewhat boring for small children who anticipate exploring the world. The robots are the solution, but the robotics technology is quite expensive to purchase and maintain.
In fact, robots would be unstable whenever they lose the internet connections (Brown, 2013). However, objecting robots because of their expensiveness is inappropriate as parents can hold fund raisings, or seek help from the governmental societies that deal with the disabled to obtain funds. In fact, in the near future, the price of robots will drop, and anybody who needs one can afford to own and maintain it.
Despite the high costs of the robotic systems, it is worth noting that nothing can make a parent happier than experiencing the joy of a disabled child. Robots remain the best option, as they will connect the children with the happenings in the school. With the robotics technology, children will be able to control the robots using home computers at the comfort of their beds.
They will dress the robot with their favorite clothes, communicate with the teacher using the robot, and swivel it around the classroom to experience the fun of intermingling with other students.
Educationalists are advocating for the use of robotics, as they are valuable alternatives to tutoring. With the rise in the number of homebound or hospitalized school going children, the robots can play a significant role in educating the children instead of letting them lag behind academically. As they continue recovering, the children can benefit from the web-based videos.
Automatic appliances
Technologists have developed automatic machineries that can convey messages to the human beings in one way or another. Some robots can see, hear, feel, and react to an incident (Diana, 2013). In fact, people have turned out to adore the robots more than required. Some people have created emotion bonds with the robots and they have forgotten to relate with human beings. They treat the robots like living entities, celebrate them, and feel guilty if they harm them.
Although the adoration of robots is irritable, people should know that the felling comes naturally when a dull, dirty, or dangerous job is done with much ease. It is an erroneous way of judging the advantageous robots. Various appliances, tools, and gadgets demonstrate their robotic traits by communicating with the human beings in a special way. The timed commands of the cameras are robotic. The coffee makers will shut down automatically once the coffee is ready.
Various appliances would vibrate, produce sound, or light to converse something. The appliances do things automatically, and they do not need a human being to press buttons to have things done. The webcam for video conferencing will alert the user when a person on the other side is ready for a conversation. A washing machine will automatically converse to the owner that the laundry is ready through a text or call. Interestingly, some robots will watch people and understand what they need.
Robots and healthy living
Technologists have improvised robots that monitor the health condition of a person. Some people are against the idea of a robot guiding a person throughout the day. They say that they robot manipulates people, and they may do things outside their interest. Moreover, programmers and manufacturers can use the robots to instill awful behaviors for self-interests. A robot can influence people to change their entire thoughts, and worse of it all is the fact that people can hark into the program of the robot and deprive a person.
The mentioned cynical ideas are not ignorable; they are potential risks of using robots that should never bar people from achieving their goals. The ideas give wrong impressions as the improvised robots are playing a great role in helping people living with health conditions. The overweighed people, for example, can have a robotic coach with expressive eyes and an expressive face. The robot will help them to monitor their eating habits, medication habits, and it will enable them to exercise more than before.
Once the owners of such robotic systems form an emotional bond with their robots, they adhere to the rules of the game. The robot guides the users thorough out the daily activities.
Professional and personal services
The issue of using robots to raise children and care for the elderly has raised concerns as these people need human attention. Although the robot will provide all possible care, children raised with robots have some form of social isolation in their development (Sharkey, 2010). Maternal depreciation and attachment diminishes considerably and instead, the child develops an attachment to the robot. The elderly would consider the entire scenario as negligence, as they are in desperate need of human contact.
The entire scenario makes some relatives to feel guilty and disturbed. The opposing views are erroneous because domestic workers are uncommon and unreliable in the contemporary world. The robots are helping in performing home duties. Robots will help in cleaning sewers, disposing bombs, and help in odd jobs.
The child caring robots will facilitate video games, conversation, and give alert messages when children move out of range. Parents can control the robots using a computer or mobile phone. It is noteworthy that in the contemporary world, people cannot afford to leave their careers to attend to children and the elderly. The entire scenario is inevitable as people can only rely on the robots.
Conclusion
From the discussions, it is evident that robots are indeed helping people in running their daily errands. Disabled people, sickly people, children, and the elderly are great beneficiaries of the robots.
Moreover, the appliances used in the contemporary world have some robotic traits to facilitate people in running their daily errands with much ease. Although there are some risks and moral concerns associated with the use of robots, it is worth noting that robots are helpful. They have advanced the society and made life significantly easy, hence, life without robotics is unimaginable.
Spot Mini, a four-legged all-electric robot, was introduced by Boston Dynamics at the end of June 2016. It is the latest model in the line of quadruped robots capable of navigating themselves in space and keeping balance on any surface (concrete, earth, dirt, ice, gravel, etc.). Unlike the earlier versions of the robots replicating the movements of four-legged animals, Spot Mini was not designed to carry heavy loads and help the military. Equipped with a sensitive electric hand, this lightweight robot is meant to perform household chores like picking the garbage and putting dishes into the dishwasher. The company has not yet announced whether it plans to launch the mass production of the model but some optimistic predictions can be made.
Feasibility – 5. Spot Mini will be successful once introduced to mass production because it possesses a number of characteristics making it more of a consumer good than a specialized unit: it is small, light, and certainly looks more appealing than its heavier and stockier hydraulic forerunners. A complex machine, Spot Mini has a variety of features that can be upgraded, such as, for example, the battery life. Although the prospects of its actual market debut are quite vague, Toyota company is known to take extreme interest in this specific model.
Worthiness – 5. While the bigger robots by Boston Dynamics are designed to operate in extreme conditions, Spot Mini is a household robot, which makes it marketable to a wider community and, therefore, profitable. Besides, this model has a unique feature that has made a revolution in robotics and adds up to its applicability. Its hand is so designed that the robot knows how much force to apply not to break whatever it is holding at the moment (which is precisely the technology Toyota is interested in).
Knowing their strength is natural for a human but not for a robot, which makes this a major achievement. When this technology is harnessed completely, the robots can be used in home health care that requires human contact. They could work as babysitters or nurses looking after the elderly: while at the same time safeguarding the patients’ dignity, the robots could help them with personal hygiene, dressing, and eating as delicately as a human being.
Ethicality – 4. The ethicality of robotics is a hotly debated issue because the public is concerned that robots will “replace” human beings, which ultimately means that many will lose their jobs. In Spot Mini’s case, the unemployment is likely to affect those working in the cleaning business or self-employed cleaners who might be already marginalized and vulnerable. At the same time, the “replacement” of the human workers with robots is highly unlikely because, while being able to operate at greater exactitude and efficiency than humans, robots do not possess full autonomy.
In fact, robotics in general may actually be able to create jobs rather than taking them away from humans, and they will not be confined to technicians and operators. As automation increases, entirely new businesses and fields of robotics-related services will appear, which do not exist now because the field is underdeveloped as it were. Household robots will undoubtedly require human supervision, so Spot Mini and its subsequent versions will probably take cleaning business and its human resources to a higher level rather than degrade.
An anthropomorphic robot powered by artificial intellect is offered for business applications by Invento Robotics. Their main product, called Mitra, offers capabilities including voice scanning, engaging gestures, and realistic dialogue. Mitra can detect visitors using facial acknowledgment technology, involve them in conversation, and notify the hosts of their presence. This case study examination will discuss several business-related topics and offer suggestions for the company. First, a five C’s study will be performed, looking at the firm, collaborators, consumers, rivals, and circumstances. Investors should proceed with deploying their robots or not based on a decision regarding all of these external circumstances. It will then briefly analyze Invento’s brand and determine whether it is distinctive.
This will raise the question of whether Invento can levy an extra for its brand name. The investigation will then examine robot price and determine if R&D or rival economics has enough sway to tip the scales in Invento Technologies’ favor, given that it is a young company competing against numerous well-established rivals. Last but not least, the report will discuss Invento Robotics’ product offerings and distribution initiatives and argue whether the robotics business should collaborate with an outside sales firm rather than concentrate its customer’s requests on the domestic sales force.
The five-Cs
Decision-making in sales promotion may have a significant impact on a company, thus, it is important to carefully and thoughtfully weigh all options. The 5 C’s of brand management has grown in popularity since it thoroughly evaluates all the important aspects of a company and allows for approach adjustments depending on what is and is not effective. The five Cs are context, company, collaborators, customers, and competitors.
Company Overview
Balaji Viswanathan founded Invento in Bangalore in 2016, intending to make robots, specifically intelligent robots, in Indian households. Male and female humanoid robots from the Mitra and Mitri market segments were created and produced by Invento. The goal of Invento was to commercialize significant lab discoveries by fusing corporate acumen with academic research. Its competitive edge came from unique features, including location-based consciousness, gesture-based comprehensive voice dialogues, and the capacity to recognize emotions, entities, and faces. It also specializes in corporate applications.
Mitri and Mitra Company’s goal is to convince business clients that using a robot arm for consumer interactions will save those cash in the long run by reducing the need for human staff. The “masculine” humanoid robot, called the Invento Mitra, stands 5 feet tall and has a variety of functions, including Bluetooth, positioning and independent mapping, language understanding, and more. Mitri, their female software, on the other hand, is a bit tiny and has more consumer characteristics that businesses can use and are referred to as “soft talents” like interpersonal skills and attitude tracking. Per the case analysis, the CEO Bala Viswanathan, the CRO Satish Roy, four sales department employees, and several engineers make up the tiny workforce at Invento Robotic Systems.
Collaborators
To export many of the conventional parts needed for robot manufacturing, Invento has established a vendor distribution network. Twenty international trade fairs, such as CES and the global AI exhibitions that Invento Robotics attended, resulted in partnerships and several customer prospects. CES is a yearly trade exhibition where more than 2000 US consumer technology businesses exhibit. Global AI specialists, data scientists, entrepreneurs, think tanks, decision-makers, and investors are at the World AI exhibition (Finkel and Krämer 112). The CEO also maintains a personal web profile on Linkedin and Quora, which he utilizes to identify potential clients and partners in the industry. Unfortunately, Invento Automation appears to have no reliable partners for sales channels. The robotics company has trouble locating a reliable distribution partner in global markets. This will be covered in more detail later in the analysis. Invento also considers it challenging to swap suppliers in this sector since it produces such expensive goods with intricate elements.
Customers
Fortune 1000 firms that needed humanoid robots were the focus of Invento. Retail, banking, medicine, administration, leisure, and schooling are six key areas where bipedal robot technologies such as Invento are situated for success. Invento divides its clients into two categories: the sane and the vain. High-end individuals who wanted to acquire a robot primarily to flaunt it were vanity clients. To improve consumer service and provide quality to their clientele, Sanity clients required the robot. Larger margins from vanity customers were associated with lower sales volumes, whereas lower profits from sanity customers were associated with higher overall sales. The two major industries served by Invento as clients are IT and business, finance, and industry (BFI). Their portfolio includes well-known companies, including Barclay, Federal Bank, Deloitte, and Infosys Corporation. Addressing the hotel, retail, and automobile sectors, where their closest rival, Softbank Robots, has a solid grasp on the market share, is an area where Invento falls short. Regarding addressing industry standards, Invento divided its clientele into two categories: vanity, which served high-end clients, and sanity section, which had a complex and drawn-out purchasing procedure.
Competitors
The household robotics industry is very competitive; even while established firms’ IP rights prevent new competitors from entering the market, they quickly find themselves and utilize their expertise and unique technologies. Amy robots in China and Japan and Softbank robotics are significant worldwide participants. With headquarters in Tokyo, Shanghai, California, Harvard, Paris, Deutschland, and the UK, these businesses are present worldwide. Softbank’s three critical products are available: a suction sweeper, a teaching helper, and a client service robot. Amy Robotics, in contrast, concentrates solely on humanoid solutions, offering several devices that may be distinguished by size and an API that customers can use to build applications for their machines. Additionally, Invento is up against rivalry from Indian producers like Sirena Technologies.
Commodity WISE, Aldebaran’s “Ginger” robot, which Fujitsu subsequently purchased, is the primary rival to Inventor. The trailing edge is a French robotics business. This robot is arguably the most comparable to Invento’s products. However, Invento’s robotics outperform Pepper on several metrics. Larger companies and a tighter hold on the marketplace share distinguish Invento’s rivals, and Invento will soon have a steep hill to climb to fight with powerful corporations like Softbank Technologies. However, Invento must launch its products and rely on its commercial edge, which, as the CEO indicated, would be corporate apps focusing on precise implementation, safety, confidentiality, and implementation for their clients.
Context
The concept appears promising after context analysis. The future belongs to humanoids. Thus, ranking among the top businesses operating in orbit will be advantageous. In respect of contextually riding the robots wave, redefining customer support, and accelerating businesses into the future, Invento has a strong position. They also have a great idea to concentrate on integrating the anthropomorphic into the unique system of their clientele. This will significantly enhance the worth of their product. However, based on my third co-op involvement in a robotics business, this might be difficult for engineers and it take a long time to advance the pipeline and acquire new products.
Why Inventos Brand is Unique
Although Invento’s merchandise is distinctive, the company’s brand may not be. Apart from Peppers, Mitri and Mitra seem very different from other commodities that the other firms sell (Mitri 156). At least 50 businesses produce robot systems that resemble those made by Invento, while hundreds of companies build intelligent machines at conferences like CES and Intelligence conferences. Invento keeps its word and integrates the robot into its target systems. There should be a brand benefit in such a situation, but costs will also go up. Being a bipedal robot firm does not make it memorable because there are several robot companies like Softbank, Amy Robots, and Mesleh Technologies. The company is one of the few businesses in this field of robotics, so possibly there is some potential for inventiveness in this area. Generally, Invento might do some amazing things with its trademarks because there is not much history of branding in this industry. Invento can potentially present itself as a specialty electronics brand, in which case it will be able to command a premium price.
Price That the Mitra and Mitri Robots Should be Sold
Given Invento’s pledge to customize its robots to each client’s demands, they could charge a little more. Their scientists’ assistance and customization will bring value by cooperating with the customer directly. I suggest setting their prices a little lower than their competitors as a start-up business to get market share. They may raise the pricing and convince designers of the value they provide to warrant increased costs if they have numerous case histories of humanoids succeeding in the industries they want to join. To stay even, they will have to sell two monthly robots at a starting price of thirteen thousand, which is the lesser part of the rival pricing range. If customers want to test both the Mitri and the Mitra robots, they can also offer a set of two machines for twenty thousand.
Channel design that Invento should use to distribute Mitra and Mitri
Inventory Automation should collaborate with foreign wholesalers that take a percentage of the sales to advertise its technology in other countries. Freelance sales agents might act as a buffer against slowing sales in the Indian marketplace by collaborating with the corporate sales team. They may raise the possibility of Invento obtaining a top-notch situational analysis to add to their library and the sale of one or two robots every month in a foreign market. The internal sales staff may use this research report to grow the company domestically.
Since foreign sales networks will not be able to serve customers, this will work despite Invento’s strategic edge of client personalization. Nevertheless, for the time term, since Invento is a young business, this might be wonderful for them to penetrate global regions and develop their footing. They may then cut links with the foreign sales channel and recruit internal sales associates who they will educate and deploy to those regions if they observe performance and a recurring sequence of business inside those regions.
Work Cited
Finkel, Marcel, and Nicole C. Krämer. “Humanoid Robots – artificial. Human-like. Credible? Empirical comparisons of source credibility attributions between humans, humanoid robots, and non-human-like devices.” International Journal of Social Robotics (2022): 109-117.
Mitri, Hani, Rudrajit Mitra, and Ting Ren. “Research advances into mine safety science and engineering.” Journal of Sustainable Mining 21.2 (2022): 155-156.
The combination of engineering and computer science has aided people in developing the field of robotics. This science segment deals with the design and manufacturing of robots – mechanical devices of different forms and sizes that can assist people in performing tasks (Moody, 2018). Although the development of helpful devices is not a new engineering area, modern robotics is focused on creating machines that can perform with minimal human oversight (Prakash, 2018). The field of robotics presents many challenges in politics, economics, and social spheres, but it offers a great opportunity to help people improve society.
Robots are designed to resolve several problems related to humans’ safety and physical abilities. First, robotics is concerned with people working in dangerous and labor-intensive environments (Marinoudi et al., 2019). For example, people spending much time underground or in radioactive zones are exposed to harmful chemicals and threats to physical health. Similarly, specialists in bomb detection and deactivation endanger their lives regularly. Apart from life preservation, robotics solves another problem – people’s limited abilities (Prakash, 2018). For instance, as humans’ underwater diving abilities are limited, robots may be designed to replace people on missions that require more time for completion. Thus, robots can be utilized in medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, storage, delivery, and more.
As robots become integrated with humans, the political sphere continues to adapt to this change. Introducing robots and related technology into geopolitics has granted countries new opportunities to defend themselves, which could be interpreted as a positive change (Prakash, 2018). As fewer humans are involved, robots become responsible for security. In contrast, the fear of automation – replacing human workers with machines – has negatively impacted political stability among people whose work is at risk (Prakash, 2018). Robotics has raised political tensions and people’s views of politicians supporting and opposing new technology.
The social impact of robotics lies in the problems that robots are designed to solve. One of the positive changes is the ability of people to focus on tasks that cannot be automated and enjoy more free time or more creative and challenging problems. In agriculture, this shift is especially noticeable, as much of the labor-intensive work is already automated, and workers may have more time to perform less physically demanding tasks (Marinoudi et al., 2019). However, automation also leads to some jobs becoming obsolete or decreasing the number of available vacancies, leading to higher unemployment and civil unrest (Moody, 2018). People whose jobs are automated may feel discouraged and be unable to find another job, which lowers the quality of life and exacerbates inequality.
The social and political problems and changes are also reflected in economic effects. On the one hand, robotics significantly increases the economic growth of businesses and ventures, streamlining manufacturing processes (Marinoudi et al., 2019). On the other hand, the level of unemployment and the need to re-educate workers to operate robots requires additional funding and lowers people’s purchasing ability, destabilizing the economy (Prakash, 2018). A negative economic impact is possible if the country does not account for automation when reviewing labor laws and initiatives.
The growing field of robotics has positive and negative impacts on people, businesses, and countries, but its potential is greater than the risks associated with it. Robots have already simplified the lives of many people, and their assistance protects lives and allows humans to focus on other tasks that do not endanger their health. If human rights are protected, robots can become a valuable addition to the workforce in the future.
References
Marinoudi, V., Sørensen, C. G., Pearson, S., & Bochtis, D. (2019). Robotics and labour in agriculture. A context consideration. Biosystems Engineering, 184, 111-121.
Moody, K. (2018). High tech, low growth: Robots and the future of work. Historical Materialism, 26(4), 3-34.
