Final Results

This was the final result of my project. This is my 3 degree of freedom version of the Puma robot programmed to spell out my name in the air. I also programmed it to write Inho's name in the air because he helped me so much. After I wrote my last blog post Inho went to Mexico and so I was on my own. I really wanted Inho to be proud when came back and to have proof that i was working the whole week. I first saw him at midnight the night he came back and i went up to his desk and said that my robot could write his name. He said he wanted to see and as we were walking in the hallway he asked "who helped you?" and i proudly, like a five year old, said i did it by myself. He watched and was super impressed and told me i did a good job like three times (which if you have been reading is legit). I was sooooo happy. Its odd, i have never really looked for someone's approval as much as Inho's. I am not sure why, maybe because i really liked him, but i just wanted him to think I was doing a good job.

I didn't actually use inverse kinematics to do the name writing because the positions were very easy and mostly just common sense. I am still glad I learned it though. It gave me a much deeper appreciation for the problem solving involved in robots. It is easy to just think a robot can do anything but still serious work is put into just getting a robot to move the slightest bit.

Along with this appreciation though came the realization that robots are no where near where I thought they were. The media makes it sound like any day now we are going to have robots servants, or robots running the world, or robots doing amazing things we can't even dream up yet but we are no where near that. I remember Danielle asked Dr. Oh when is she going to get a robot to do her dishes and Dr. Oh said she would be lucky if she ever saw that. Additionally Hubo is run by Jungwoo on a computer pressing buttons. I haven't seen it do anything autonomously so there certainly is a long way to go before I get my robot servant.

The problem (and im not sure i even know what i mean when i say the problem, i guess just the whole robot uh..thing...) is a lot more complex than I assumed. I know I only learned a tiny piece but I get why even though all over the world people have dedicated themselves to robots we still don't have flying cars and what not. This was a solid educational experience and I would recommend it on so many levels to anyone. I am a government major and I still got a ton out of it. Anyone willing to work hard and be out going should absolutely jump at this opportunity. All that matters at all is whether you are willing to put in the effort to do what you want. It really is the type of program where you get out what you put in and I will be forever grateful I put all I could in.