Back in the early days of robotics, robots were used mainly in assembly lines for cars. Who would have thought this idea could be used to the benefit of students like you and me? In 1989, a company called Zymark, a robotic manufacturer, did just so by donating three robotic arms to RWC. Zymark had also received input from their engineers who were talking to chemists. By demonstration, they proved that the performance of these robotic arms were exceptional in a lab environment. This idea was inspired by Apple, who sold older models of their Macintosh computers to schools at half price. This they believed would get the schools to buy more from the company. Zymark’s aspirations weren’t successful, as they had some robotic arms left over. Thus, three of the robotic arms were donated to RWC’s Chemistry and Biology labs in the hands of Professor Richard Barnes and approved by former RWC Dean Ernest Muntz. At the time, well before the SAHB’s completion in 1999, RWC Chemistry and Biology labs occupied the space that is now the Computer Concourse.
Before the grand opening of SAHB, Dean Barbara Bardes came to Professor Barnes with an idea that involved the cutting of the ribbon using the arm. Since the arms are difficult to move out of the labs, Barnes had RWC eMedia students video tape the arms cutting a ribbon with a dremel tool in the lab, and the video was used as a “virtual” cutting of the ribbon shown during the opening ceremony.
In the Intro to Lab Robotics class, his students learn the basics of learning how to operate these robotic arms. Each robotic arm is hooked to a computer in which a student can teach it to perform various tasks. Surrounding the robotic arm are accessories related to a lab environment. This includes, but is not limited to test tubes in test tube racks, syringes, and grappling arms of various sizes.
To move the arm, the student must program the movements using the software provided by the company. In this class, Barnes explained that each program specifies what the robotic arm should accomplish. In the lab, he had run a demo program, in which the robot fills a test tube with colored liquid. The robotic arm rotates to and fro, accomplishing the task as the computer forwards the pre-programmed instructions at the click of a button.
Barnes says the software has error checking, as most programming packages do. If you encounter a problem, it would tell you. However, nothing will stop it from performing a task if you give it the okay to do so! Each program contains smaller tasks that are linked together under one huge file. The arm will only access what accessories are programmed in the computer’s database. The student would set these variables using coordinates of each accessory relative to the arm. If they wish to move the accessory to a new location, they must program that change in their program’s code.
This specific program for robotic arms is called LabVIEW (short for Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench), a program language written in “G,” which is a language used mainly for dataflow, developed by Apple in 1986 for their Macintosh computers. The same software is commonly now used for data acquisition, industrial automation, and instrument control. The latter is the purpose these robotic arms serve in this class.
In the curriculum, Barnes gives students various projects to work on. Each assigned project increases in complexity. On the final, he would assign them a project for them to get the robotic arm to do. The students would write the code out from scratch. Barnes graded each one on quality.
“The problem most students have initially,” Barnes said, “was trying to program too many instructions for the robotic arm.” He gave the illustration of giving a toddler instructions one step at a time. In this class students also learn how to troubleshoot in this regard if problems do arise. As always in any programming classes, how well a student does in them is dependent on how well they know how to troubleshoot.
Barnes hopes for his students to learn the basics of robotics. Students who pursue this as a carreer would get job experience in the field of lab robotics from taking this class.
Barnes mentioned that humans no doubt have limits. A robot does not. It would take one human to program what needed to be done and leave for the day. Over night, the robot would work. By morning, the task would be completed.
In the near future I see this being done in all companies. This can be a plus for those looking for jobs in the robotics field. Today, the robotic arm..Tomorrow, a fully fledged robot! It all starts on the college level. A school that teaches students about robotics? Welcome to the 21st century, my friends! The 24th century may not be here yet, but with companies like Zymark, we might get there a little faster.