Quick, Cheap, and Creative Development for Robotics Education: Understanding and Experiencing Prosthetics Technology

Kojiro Matsushita

doi:10.20965/jrm.2011.p0850

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JRM Vol.23 No.5 pp. 850-858

doi: 10.20965/jrm.2011.p0850

(2011)

Paper:

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Quick, Cheap, and Creative Development for Robotics Education: Understanding and Experiencing Prosthetics Technology

Kojiro Matsushita

Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

Received:

February 28, 2011

Accepted:

April 20, 2011

Published:

October 20, 2011

Keywords:

robotics education, welfare robotics, prosthesis, cyborg, biological signal processing

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a cheap, quick, and creative developmental kit for prosthetic applications, and we report on demonstrations in robotics education based on it. The proposed kit consists of an Electro-Myo-Graphic (EMG) sensor, an EMG-to-motor controller, and a wire-driven device. It is designed to be used to provide robotics courses to help middle school / high school / university students to understand today–s science and technology – especially prosthetics technology. The concept of prosthetics technology is generally difficult for participants to understand, so we provide the following three demonstrations in the course: (1) “Simple Prosthetic Hand” is an imitation of the most common commercially-available electric prosthetic hand. The “Simple Prosthetic Hand” illustrates that a low-precision design can be inexpensive to produce yet appropriate for the understanding of prosthetic hand technology. (2) The “Rock-Scissors-Paper Prosthetic Hand” indicates research-target prosthetic hands. It clearly delivers EMG-to-motion discrimination processes. (3) The “EMG Presbyopia Spectacles” exemplify the concept that even beginners can possibly use unique ideas to design creative prosthetic applications based on daily activities. The participants’ interactions with these three demonstrations contribute to their understanding the concept of prosthetic application. We have conducted the educational courses for middle school, high school, and university students. For middle and high school students, we have provided 2-hour lectures, and the demonstrations have helped the participants to understand why and how prosthetic applications work. For university students, we have provided a 6-hour robot design course with the kit. The participants have built both simple and complicated structures, and they have enjoyed controlling them with their muscles.

Cite this article as:

K. Matsushita, “Quick, Cheap, and Creative Development for Robotics Education: Understanding and Experiencing Prosthetics Technology,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.23 No.5, pp. 850-858, 2011.

Data files:

References

[1] F. Yamasaki and Y. Nakagawa, “Education Using Small Humanoid Robot,” In Proc. of AMiRE, pp. 248-253, 2005.
[2] F.Mondada, M. Bonani, X. Raemy, J. Pugh, C. Cianci, A. Klaptocz, S. Magnenat, J.-C. Zufferey, D. Floreano, and A.Martinoli, “The epuck, a robot designed for education in engineering,” Proc. of the 9th Conf. on Autonomous Robot Systems and Competitions, pp. 59-65, 2009.
[3] D. C. Cliburn, “Experiences with the LEGO Mindstorms throughout the Undergraduate Computer Science Curriculum,” Frontiers in Education Conf., 36th Annual, pp. 1-6, 2006.
[4] J. Wakeman-Linn and A. Perry, “A proposal to incorporate LEGO®Mindstorms into an introduction to engineering course,” Proc. of ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition: Vive L’ingenieur, pp. 9231-9238, 2002.
[5] P. S. Brian. J. J. Wood, and D. Hansen. “Teaching undergraduate kinetics using LEGO®Mindstorms racecar competition,” Proc. of 2004 Annual Conf. and Exposition, “Engineering Education Research New Heights,” pp. 13841-13848, 2004.
[6] E. Wang and R. Wang. “Using LEGOs and RoboLab (LabVIEW) with elementary school children,” Proc. Frontiers in Education Conf., v.1, T2E/11, 2001.
[7] B. Erwin, M. Cyr, and C. Rogers, “LEGO engineer and RoboLab: Teaching engineering with LabVIEWfrom kindergarten to graduate school,” Int. J. of Engineering Education, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 181-192, 2003.
[8] H. H. Lund and L. Pagliarini. “RoboCup Jr. with LEGO MINDSTORMS,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 813-819, 2000.
[9] K. Matsushita, H. Yokoi, and T. Arai, “Plastic-Bottle-Based Robots in Educational Robotics Courses – Understanding Embodied Artificial Intelligence –,” J. of Robotics and Mechatronics, Vol.19, No.2, pp. 212-222, 2007.
[10] K. Matsushita, H. Yokoi, and T. Arai, “Robotic Education for Human-Robot Interaction: Proposal of Two Robotic Developmental Kits that Bring Creativity, Workshop,” Teaching Human-Robot Interaction to Humans at 2008 IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2008.
[11] H. Heger, S. Millstein, and G. A. Hunter, “Electrically Powered Prostheses for the Adult with an Upper Limb Amputation,” The J. of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol.67B, pp. 278-281, 1985.
[12] H. Yokoi, A. H. Arieta, R. Katoh, W. Yu, I. Watanabe, and M. Maruishi, “Mutual Adaptation in a Prosthetics Application,” LNAI3139: Embodied Artificial Intelligence, Springer, pp. 146-159, 2004.
ISBN: 3-540-22484-X

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationa License.

[1] [1] F. Yamasaki and Y. Nakagawa, “Education Using Small Humanoid Robot,” In Proc. of AMiRE, pp. 248-253, 2005.

[2] [2] F.Mondada, M. Bonani, X. Raemy, J. Pugh, C. Cianci, A. Klaptocz, S. Magnenat, J.-C. Zufferey, D. Floreano, and A.Martinoli, “The epuck, a robot designed for education in engineering,” Proc. of the 9th Conf. on Autonomous Robot Systems and Competitions, pp. 59-65, 2009.

[3] [3] D. C. Cliburn, “Experiences with the LEGO Mindstorms throughout the Undergraduate Computer Science Curriculum,” Frontiers in Education Conf., 36th Annual, pp. 1-6, 2006.

[4] [4] J. Wakeman-Linn and A. Perry, “A proposal to incorporate LEGO®Mindstorms into an introduction to engineering course,” Proc. of ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition: Vive L’ingenieur, pp. 9231-9238, 2002.

[5] [5] P. S. Brian. J. J. Wood, and D. Hansen. “Teaching undergraduate kinetics using LEGO®Mindstorms racecar competition,” Proc. of 2004 Annual Conf. and Exposition, “Engineering Education Research New Heights,” pp. 13841-13848, 2004.

[6] [6] E. Wang and R. Wang. “Using LEGOs and RoboLab (LabVIEW) with elementary school children,” Proc. Frontiers in Education Conf., v.1, T2E/11, 2001.

[7] [7] B. Erwin, M. Cyr, and C. Rogers, “LEGO engineer and RoboLab: Teaching engineering with LabVIEWfrom kindergarten to graduate school,” Int. J. of Engineering Education, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 181-192, 2003.

[8] [8] H. H. Lund and L. Pagliarini. “RoboCup Jr. with LEGO MINDSTORMS,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 813-819, 2000.

[9] [9] K. Matsushita, H. Yokoi, and T. Arai, “Plastic-Bottle-Based Robots in Educational Robotics Courses – Understanding Embodied Artificial Intelligence –,” J. of Robotics and Mechatronics, Vol.19, No.2, pp. 212-222, 2007.

[10] [10] K. Matsushita, H. Yokoi, and T. Arai, “Robotic Education for Human-Robot Interaction: Proposal of Two Robotic Developmental Kits that Bring Creativity, Workshop,” Teaching Human-Robot Interaction to Humans at 2008 IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2008.

[11] [11] H. Heger, S. Millstein, and G. A. Hunter, “Electrically Powered Prostheses for the Adult with an Upper Limb Amputation,” The J. of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol.67B, pp. 278-281, 1985.

[12] [12] H. Yokoi, A. H. Arieta, R. Katoh, W. Yu, I. Watanabe, and M. Maruishi, “Mutual Adaptation in a Prosthetics Application,” LNAI3139: Embodied Artificial Intelligence, Springer, pp. 146-159, 2004.
ISBN: 3-540-22484-X