1. BASIC ELECTRONICS & ROBOTICS Instructor: Humayun Rashid Raahat
Chapter 2:
Essential Characteristics of Robot

2. Essential characteristics of Robot
A robot should have following characteristics: 1. Sensor 2. Control Systems 3. Movements systems 4. Power supply 5. Decision making ability/Intelligence

3. Sensors
A robot is a system which is programmed to do some specific actions or to act as it instructed or programmed. To do so, a robot needs to get an input.

4. What kind of input a robot need to receive to operate and why it is needed? Well, as a example we can say that, for a light follower robot, a robot is need to sense light to operate. It is programmed in this way. In this case, input is light.

5. How robot is sensing light? Here comes the role of a sensor.
A light sensing component will be used to sense light. So, the sensor can sense light and receive it as input and then operated as it is programed.

6. There are different kinds of sensors are available to use
There are different kinds of sensors are available to use. Some examples are:
light sensor
Gas sensor
Water Sensor
Ultrasonic Sensor
Smoke Sensor

7. A lot of sensors are available for different purposes.
Each Sensor has their individual applications.

8. Control System
A robot needs to make movement according to its programming or instruction. Control System is needed to control the robot’s movement. Without proper control system, a robot won’t be able to operate properly. Control Systems provides proper support to a robot to make its movement according to instruction.

9. As an example, consider, we want a robot to follow a black line until it sense any obstacle and then stop if it sense any obstacle.
If we don’t provide proper control systems, the robot won’t follow black line even it sense a black line and willing to follow it.

10. Movement of robot depends on robot’s purpose.
A robot needs movement.
Movement of robot depends on robot’s purpose.
If a robot is built to follow light or line, it need movement of running on wheels.
If a robot is built to move an object from one place to another, it needs more additional movement, and for these kind of movement , additional mechanical structure is needed.

11. Generally, we can use wheel for providing basic movement from one place to another. For a copter or flying robot ,different types of movement is needed. Mechanical arms can be provided to a robot if it needs to hold any object. Movement system depends on robot’s purpose and skill.

12. Power Supply
Power supply is a very important factor for a robot. If a system can’t get proper power from power source, the system won’t operate properly.
Less power will cause not to operate in a expected way.
Excessive power will cause damage of robot circuits and others.
So it is very important to set up a proper power supply for a Robot.

13. Decision making ability/Artificial Intelligence
Decision making ability is one of the most important features of a robot. Without decision making ability, a robot won’t be defined as a robot. Robot is programmed in such a way, that it has to make decision in different situations.

14. As an example for a light follower robot or line follower robot a robot need to make a decision –
When it will start running,
When it will stop
What will happen if obstacle detect
Which direction to go straight forward, left or right.
Which way to go when obstacle is detected,
What to do to avoid obstacle
What o do when different input is given to system.

15. Decision making ability is provided to a robot by programming on microcontroller or arduino.