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Page 90 - Toucpad robotics C11
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    Block Diagram Representation
                  Let’s visualise these components in a simplified block diagram (imagine drawing boxes connected by lines):

                               Servo motor 2
                                  (joint 2)                    Power supply

                               Servo motor 3                                                    DC Motor driver
                                  (joint 3)
                                                                 Embedded
                                                                 controller                        DC Motor 1
                               Servo motor 4                                                        (joint 1)
                                  (joint 4)

                                                                Companion                           Bi-phase
                               Servo motor 5                     computer
                                 (gripper)                                                          encoder

                  Key Differences in Application

                  Microcontrollers
                      Purpose: Best suited for dedicated, real-time control tasks that are repetitive and require precise timing.
                  u
                      Operating System: Usually run simple “bare-metal” code (no operating system) or a very lightweight Real-Time
                  u
                      Operating System.

                  u   Power Consumption: Very low.
                      Complexity: Simpler to program for specific tasks, but harder for complex software.
                  u
                      Example Applications: Controlling a robot arm’s joint angles, managing the movement of a robotic vacuum cleaner,
                  u
                      controlling Light Emitting Diode displays, reading basic sensor data.
                  Single Board Computers
                      Purpose: Used when a robot needs more ‘intelligence’, such as running complex Artificial Intelligence algorithms,
                  u
                      processing  large amounts  of sensor data  (like  high-resolution  camera  feeds), or needing  to  communicate  over
                      networks.
                      Operating System: Typically run a full-fledged operating system (like different versions of Linux).
                  u
                  u   Power Consumption: Higher than microcontrollers.
                      Complexity: More complex to set up initially (like setting up a computer), but easier for software development due
                  u
                      to rich libraries and development environments.
                      Example Applications: The main brain of a self-driving car (processing camera and LIDAR data, running navigation
                  u
                      AI), controlling  a  humanoid  robot  that  needs  to  understand  speech,  sophisticated  drones  performing  complex
                      mapping, a robot needing internet connectivity.
                  In conclusion, the architecture of microcontrollers and single board computers forms the very foundation of robotic
                  intelligence. By understanding how their Central Processing Units, various types of memory, and diverse Input/Output
                  peripherals work together, along with their distinct roles, we can appreciate how these compact ‘brains’ enable robots
                  to perceive, process, decide, and act, bringing smart automation to life in our world, from simple gadgets to complex
                  autonomous systems in places like Delhi.

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                  Touchpad Robotics - XI

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