Patrick Stakem

Personal Robots Patrick Stakem

Personal Robots of the 1980's inspired hopes for the future. This was triggered by the R2D2 Robot of the Star War series, itself based on the three service droids of the early Science Fiction movie, Silent Running. At the same time, personal computers were emerging as affordable and easier to use. The excitement and the technology reached a tipping point. Before this time, robotics mainly meant large hydraulic units that manufactured cars. Now it came to mean personal companions. The expectations were limitless. It took, as it always does, longer than we thought. The initial units were termed pc's on pc's - personal computers on push carts by Nolan Bushnell. Robots up to this time built cars on factory assembly lines. Now, people were building them at home, using whatever level of technology was available. Devices succh as the Roomba vacuum cleaner and robotic lawn mowers emerged. But, the miniaturization of the compute elements and the sensors was not there yet. Remotely controlled (tele-robotic) Battlebots fought in arenas. It is far easier to get a working robot put together at home now, with most of the pieces available off the shelf, and inexpensive. Mobility platforms, including flight platforms, small embedded computer such as the Raspberry Pi and Arduino, and a full spectrum of small inexpensive MEMS sensors are widely available. But the pioneering work of at home robot builders made this all possible. It was an exciting time, and its getting better.