Interfacing the Public and Technology: A Web Controlled Mobile Robot

Erin J. Harris

R. Andrew Lamonica

Jerry B. Weinberg

Motivation

• Provide opportunities for the public to interact with current robot technology

• Engage K-12 students and the general public with positive and realistic images of technology

• Provide an educational resource for K-12 students and teachers

• Foster positive attitudes towards science and technology

Designing with Kids

•Contextual Interviews•4 groups of varying ages (K-12)

•Card Sorting•High school students

•Paper Prototyping•3rd grade students

Demonstration (Sort Of…)

How the Robot Works: K-6 Target Audience

K-6 Target Audience

K-6 Target Audience

Linked to Material for 6 & Up Audience

How the Robot Works: 6 & Up Target Audience

How the Robot Works: 6 & Up Target Audience

Watch Option

Marvin Watching Taz at Midnight

Control Option

Control Option

“How old is Taz?”

• Middle and primary school presentations

• Remote lecture with Florida 6th graders

On-site Interactions

• Open house events• “Webcasts” of other robotic

events and competitions• Administration loves the PR

• Numerous news articles• Positive unsolicited public feedback• Helps us get funding for other stuff

Interesting Hits

3 Layer Implementation

Java Control Applet User’s Computer(s)

Middle ManWeb Server

Remote Control ServerRobot’s Onboard PC

Movement requests

Camera feed

Completion information

Safe commands

Completion information

User information

Movement requests

Pioneer 2 Operating System (P2OS)Robot’s Microcomputer

The Grid

• A digital map of the building • The map is created by

moving the robot around the building

• The grid points are drawn on the map using our software

• Each point is a location Taz is permitted to occupy

• Taz can only move between points connected by an edge

Future Work

• Orientation• Give the users a sense of where “they” are when

they gain control

• Camera Control• Provide pan-tilt options to the users

• Visible AI• Provide K-12 students a more direct understanding

of how Taz navigates and localizes

• Multiple levels of interaction• Add the option of sending Taz to a certain point or

some kind of “trip” planning