Evolutionary Robotics: The Next Generation

After reviewing current approaches in Evolutionary Robotics, we point to directions of research that re likely to bring interesting results in the future. e then address two crucial aspects for future developments of Evolutionary Robotics: choice of fitness functions and scalability to real-world situations. In the first case we suggest framework to describe fitness functions, choose them according to the situation constraints, and compare available experiments in the literature on evolutionary robotics. In the second case, we suggest way to make experimental results applicable to real- world situations by evolving online continuous adaptive controllers. We also give an overview of recent experimental results showing that the suggested approaches pro- duce qualitatively superior abilities, scale up to more complex architectures, smoothly transfer from simulations to real robots and across different robotic platforms, and autonomously adapt in few seconds to several sources of strong variability that were not included during the evolutionary run

The Next-Generation Surgical Robots

The chronicle of surgical robots is short but remarkable. Within 20 years since the regulatory approval of the first surgical robot, more than 3,000 units were installed worldwide, and more than half a million robotic surgical procedures were carried out in the past year alone. The exceptionally high speeds of market penetration and expansion to new surgical areas had raised technical, clinical, and ethical concerns. However, from a technological perspective, surgical robots today are far from perfect, with a list of improvements expected for the next-generation systems. On the other hand, robotic technologies are flourishing at ever-faster paces. Without the inherent conservation and safety requirements in medicine, general robotic research could be substantially more agile and explorative. As a result, various technical innovations in robotics developed in recent years could potentially be grafted into surgical applications and ignite the next major advancement in robotic surgery. In this article, the current generation of surgical robots is reviewed from a technological point of view, including three of possibly the most debated technical topics in surgical robotics: vision, haptics, and accessibility. Further to that, several emerging robotic technologies are highlighted for their potential applications in next-generation robotic surgery

Update NPS / May 2022

Highlights from this edition include: NPS Faculty Recognized for Interdisciplinary Work with Annual Hamming Award ; Researcher Mentors the Next Generation of Robotics Engineers; NPS Applies System Engineering to Bolster Marine Corps Reserves Education System; NPS Scores High Marks in Annual Grad School Rankings, Agai

The Circuit, Spring 2017

Table of Contents: Early Career Awards Spotlighting: Leonard Bohman Visiting Faculty Bridging Past and Future Through Automation Robotics Systems Enterprise Inspiring the Next Generation Tech Team Wins Team Tech Ramping Up Automotive Controls Bucheger Moves Senior Design Forward Student News Alumni Newshttps://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/ece-newsletters/1004/thumbnail.jp

Modularity in robotic systems

Most robotic systems today are designed one at a time, at a high cost of time and money. This wasteful approach has been necessary because the industry has not established a foundation for the continued evolution of intelligent machines. The next generation of robots will have to be generic, versatile machines capable of absorbing new technology rapidly and economically. This approach is demonstrated in the success of the personal computer, which can be upgraded or expanded with new software and hardware at virtually every level. Modularity is perceived as a major opportunity to reduce the 6 to 7 year design cycle time now required for new robotic manipulators, greatly increasing the breadth and speed of diffusion of robotic systems in manufacturing. Modularity and its crucial role in the next generation of intelligent machines are the focus of interest. The main advantages that modularity provides are examined; types of modules needed to create a generic robot are discussed. Structural modules designed by the robotics group at the University of Texas at Austin are examined to demonstrate the advantages of modular design

Using Project Based Learning to Engage Third -Fifth Grade Students in Robotics Education

Includes bibliographical references (pages 36-40)The purpose of this graduate project was to examine the engagement of third through fifth grade students using Lego?? robotics as the catalyst in project based learning. Robotics educations has been on the rise in the last 10 years, but in the elementary schools it has been the driving force for many teachers on how to engage students in todays??? technological advances. Using project based learning and Lego?? robotics creates an engaging environment for students and teachers to cover Common Core States Standards along with the Next Generation Science Standards. This project was created to help guide teachers, administrators and after school counselors with the materials and resources needed in order to start a robotics program at their own location