Good Morning from my Robotics Lab! This is Shadow_8472, and today, I have a very exciting project announcement, one I’ve been looking forward to working on since I started this blog. Let’s get started!
Introduction
I’ve always dreamed of having my own social robot, and while I’ve spent the past few months researching the subject in my spare time, I still feel like I don’t know the second thing about actually building one. Way back when, I heard Linux was the operating system of choice for the craft, and I’ve been here ever since, and I’d like to move on.
I want to make an open-source, ambulatory social robot that can hold on a conversation, operate independent of a host computer, and be buildable/affordable by an avid robotics hobbyist. I know I don’t have the skills, and technology may need to march on before all my goals are feasible at once, but I fully expect this project to take over ten years. I respect the open source community, and I want to start giving back.
Background
The field of robotics is about as developed as computers were in the 50 to 60 years ago: large, clunky models confined by their price tags to businesses or universities; commercial applications cultivate a public awareness in the commercial sector leading up to early adoption in the home with the number of use cases blossoming as the technology develops.
One future of robotics under development has robots built for socialization. Where robots of today may feel like little more than computers personified, social robots can bring a character to life in the real world. Imagine: an automated service may benefit from a relatable face. One robotic puppy now on the market is aimed at forgetful seniors who might be at risk of neglecting a living therapy animal.
Who says a robot must have a riged frame, run on servos, or use other parts that boost their cost? A number of artificial muscle designs are cheaper, lighter, and simpler to make. I’ll go into more detail in future posts, but the kind I’ve been studying offers a world of design possibilities motors struggle to replicate.
Finishing Thoughts
It is my hope that I can work on this mega project as I can, and post video updates every three months or whenever I reach a major milestone. I will still have other topics as projects come up, and I may even do side projects directly intended to practice/develop skills for this project. For this reason, I won’t be using my usual numbering system. The parts for this robot are mostly out there. I just need to assemble them and make up the difference.
Final Question
What would you do with a personality robot you could take anywhere?