Robotics History & EV3 Overview

50 Q&A-style flashcards covering key robotics history milestones, notable figures, robotics milestones, and EV3/Mindstorms concepts from the lecture notes.

Who built the steam-propelled mechanical pigeon (the Pigeon) around 350 B.C.?

Archytas, a Greek mathematician.

What was the Pigeon propelling mechanism?

Steam power.

Which philosopher wrote about tools that could do the work they befit, hinting at automation in 322 B.C.?

Aristotle.

Who designed water clocks with movable figures around 200 B.C.?

Ctesibius of Alexandria.

What did Leonardo da Vinci design in 1945 related to robotics?

A mechanical knight (a robot) to amuse royalty.

What were Jacques de Vaucanson’s automata?

Three automata: a flute player, a second that played flute/drum/tambourine, and a duck that moved and digested food.

What automata did Pierre Jaquet-Droz and his son create?

Three dolls: one writes, one plays music, and one draws pictures.

What input method did Joseph Jacquard’s loom use?

Punched cards.

Who is often called the Father of the Computer for his work on the Difference Engine?

Charles Babbage.

What algebraic system did George Boole develop in 1847?

Boolean algebra.

Who demonstrated a remote-controlled robot in 1898?

Nikola Tesla.

Where did the word ‘robot’ originate in 1921?

Karel Capek’s play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots).

Which film introduced Maria, the first robot projected on screen, in 1926?

Metropolis.

Who introduced the concept of the Turing Machine in 1936?

Alan Turing.

What are the early Isaac Asimov works and the famous robotic laws he formulated (plus Zeroth Law)?

Robbie (A Strange Playfellow) and I, Robot; Three Laws of Robotics (and Zeroth Law).

What are the Three Laws of Robotics created by Asimov?

1) A robot may not injure a human or allow harm through inaction; 2) A robot must obey human orders unless they conflict with the First Law; 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as this does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

What patent did George Devol obtain in 1946?

A playback device for controlling machines.

What test did Alan Turing propose in 1950 to assess machine thinking?

The Turing Test.

Which 1951 film features an alien named Klaatu and his robot Gort?

The Day the Earth Stood Still.

What two milestones are associated with 1956 in AI history?

Logic Theorist (first expert system) and the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence (coining the term AI).

Where was theArtificial Intelligence Laboratory established in 1959?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

What is the MH-1 in robotics history?

A computer-operated mechanical hand developed at MIT in 1961.

What was the first industrial robotic arm introduced in 1962?

Unimate, deployed on a General Motors assembly line.

What significant career move did John McCarthy make in 1963?

Left MIT to start the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Stanford University.

What is Shakey the robot known for in 1966?

Being the first mobile robot capable of perceiving and reacting to its environment.

What is ELIZA?

A 1966 program that simulates a conversation as a computer psychologist.

What is MacHack and why is it significant?

A chess program by Richard Greenblatt (1967) that helped pave the way for modern chess software, culminating in Big Blue.

What is HAL in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey?

An onboard computer that ultimately rejects human commands.

Who built the Stanford Arm in 1969?

Victor Scheinman.

What is the Stanford Cart?

A line-following robot capable of being controlled by computer via radio (1970).

Who are Huey, Dewey, and Louie?

Robot drones featured in the 1971 film Silent Running.

What is the Silver Arm and who developed it?

A robotic arm capable of assembling small parts using touch sensors (Victor Scheinman, 1974).

What is the Soft Gripper and who designed it?

A snake-like gripper that can wrap around objects (Shigeo Hirose, 1976).

Which 1977 film is notable for featuring R2-D2 and C-3PO?

Star Wars.

Which space missions were launched in 1977?

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.

Where was the Robotics Institute established in 1979?

Carnegie Mellon University.

Who rebuilt the Stanford Cart in 1979 with a more robust vision system?

Hans Moravec.

What did Seymour Papert publish in 1980 and what idea did it advocate?

Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas; constructionism.

What innovation did Takeo Kanade introduce in 1981?

The direct-drive arm with motors in the joints for faster, more accurate motion.

Which classic film released in 1982 features replicants?

Blade Runner.

What collaboration began in 1986 between LEGO and MIT Media Lab?

LEGO-based educational products; tc Logo used in classrooms.

What was Honda’s 1989 robotics program premised on?

Robots should coexist and cooperate with humans, performing tasks humans cannot and improving mobility for society.

What is the Genghis gait?

The walking gait of the MIT walking robot Genghis unveiled in 1989.

What was the impact of Brooks and Flynn’s 1989 paper?

Promoted the idea of many small, cheap rovers rather than one large, expensive robot.

What is CyberKnife and who proposed it?

A robot that images the patient with X-rays and delivers targeted radiation; proposed by John Adler (1992).

What happened to Dante, the 8-legged robot, on Mt Erebus in 1993?

Its tether snapped and the descent failed.

What was Dante II’s achievement in 1994?

A more robust descent into Mt Spurr with a successful mission and 3D environment mapping.

What is Honda P3?

A humanoid robot introduced by Honda in 1996.

Which Mars rover did Pathfinder bring to Mars in 1997?

Sojourner.

What was Furby, introduced in 1998?

An animatronic pet capable of interacting with its environment and speaking 800 phrases in English and its own language (Furbish).

What LEGO product line did LEGO release in 1998 related to robotics, and what is its name based on?

Mindstorms, named after Seymour Papert’s work.

Which robot pet did Sony release in 1999?

AIBO.

What humanoid robot did Honda debut in 2000?

ASIMO.

What robotics competition event was held in Las Vegas in 2000?

BattleBots.

What LEGO Mindstorms product was released in 2000?

MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System 2.0.

What FDA clearance occurred in 2001 related to robotic radiation therapy?

CyberKnife was cleared to treat tumors anywhere in the body.

What milestone did Honda’s ASIMO achieve in 2002?

Rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

What NASA Mars rovers were launched in 2003?

MER-A Spirit and MER-B Opportunity.

Which Sony robotic pet was released in 2003?

AIBO ERS-7 (3rd generation).

What happened with Spirit and Opportunity in early 2004?

Spirit landed on Mars on January 4, 2004; Opportunity landed on January 23, 2004.

What are the main mechanical elements of a robot as described in the notes?

Motors, pistons, grippers, wheels, and gears.

What types of sensors are discussed in the notes?

Vision, force, proximity, ultrasonic, light, sound, touch sensors.

What are common actuators listed?

AC servo motor, brushless DC servo motor, brushed DC servo motor.

What is the role of the controller in robotics?

To process sensory information and compute control commands for actuators.

Name two agricultural robots mentioned and their functions.

Lettuce Bot (precision thinning), Agribotix (drone with infrared sensors to measure crop health).

Name two healthcare robots mentioned.

The Bestic (robotic spoon), Surgical nanobots and robotic arms for brain surgery.

What is the Guidecane and who developed it?

A robotic device to assist the blind; developed by Johann Borenstein.

What is the role of home security robots like Nuvo?

To monitor homes via camera, microphone, and speakers; viewable via mobile devices.

What is the difference between remote-controlled and autonomous robots?

Remote-controlled robots require human control; autonomous robots operate independently.

What are virtual robots?

Programs that simulate or perform tasks inside a computer rather than in the real world.

What is the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 and what is it related to?

The EV3 is the later generation of LEGO Mindstorms hardware/software, evolving from the earlier NXT system.

What are the main blocks in the EV3 programming environment?

Action blocks, flow blocks, sensor blocks, data operations, advanced blocks, and user-made blocks.

What are the four main block categories shown in theEV3 programming notes?

Action, Flow, Sensor, Data Operations (plus Advanced blocks).

Who built the steam-propelled mechanical pigeon (the Pigeon) around 350 B.C.?

Archytas, a Greek mathematician.

What was the Pigeon propelling mechanism?

Steam power.

Which philosopher wrote about tools that could do the work they befit, hinting at automation in 322 B.C.?

Aristotle.

Who designed water clocks with movable figures around 200 B.C.?

Ctesibius of Alexandria.

What did Leonardo da Vinci design in 1945 related to robotics?

A mechanical knight (a robot) to amuse royalty.

What were Jacques de Vaucanson’s automata?

Three automata: a flute player, a second that played flute/drum/tambourine, and a duck that moved and digested food.

What automata did Pierre Jaquet-Droz and his son create?

Three dolls: one writes, one plays music, and one draws pictures.

What input method did Joseph Jacquard’s loom use?

Punched cards.

Who is often called the Father of the Computer for his work on the Difference Engine?

Charles Babbage.

What algebraic system did George Boole develop in 1847?

Boolean algebra.

Who demonstrated a remote-controlled robot in 1898?

Nikola Tesla.

Where did the word ‘robot’ originate in 1921?

Karel Capek’s play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots).

Which film introduced Maria, the first robot projected on screen, in 1926?

Metropolis.

Who introduced the concept of the Turing Machine in 1936?

Alan Turing.

What are the early Isaac Asimov works and the famous robotic laws he formulated (plus Zeroth Law)?

Robbie (A Strange Playfellow) and I, Robot; Three Laws of Robotics (and Zeroth Law).

What are the Three Laws of Robotics created by Asimov?

1) A robot may not injure a human or allow harm through inaction; 2) A robot must obey human orders unless they conflict with the First Law; 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as this does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

What patent did George Devol obtain in 1946?

A playback device for controlling machines.

What test did Alan Turing propose in 1950 to assess machine thinking?

The Turing Test.

Which 1951 film features an alien named Klaatu and his robot Gort?

The Day the Earth Stood Still.

What two milestones are associated with 1956 in AI history?

Logic Theorist (first expert system) and the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence (coining the term AI).

Where was theArtificial Intelligence Laboratory established in 1959?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

What is the MH-1 in robotics history?

A computer-operated mechanical hand developed at MIT in 1961.

What was the first industrial robotic arm introduced in 1962?

Unimate, deployed on a General Motors assembly line.

What significant career move did John McCarthy make in 1963?

Left MIT to start the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Stanford University.

What is Shakey the robot known for in 1966?

Being the first mobile robot capable of perceiving and reacting to its environment.

What is ELIZA?

A 1966 program that simulates a conversation as a computer psychologist.

What is MacHack and why is it significant?

A chess program by Richard Greenblatt (1967) that helped pave the way for modern chess software, culminating in Big Blue.