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Page 114 - Toucpad robotics C11
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    Feature              DC Motor (Typical Brushed)            Servo Motor (Closed-Loop System)
                   Complexity            Simpler                                 More complex (requires tuning)
                                         Requires  continuous  power and can drift  Can hold position  precisely, constantly
                   Holding Position
                                         without a brake                         correcting for external forces

                                                                                 Often  limited  (e.g., 0-180 degrees), but
                   Typical Range         Continuous (360 degrees+)
                                                                                 industrial types can be continuous
                  The choice between a DC motor and a servo motor in a robotic application depends entirely on the specific requirements
                  of the task. If a robot needs simple continuous movement, like driving its wheels forward, a DC motor (often with a
                  gearbox) might suffice due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, if the robot needs to perform highly accurate
                  and repeatable movements, such as precisely placing a component on a circuit board or articulating a robotic arm to a
                  specific angle, then a servo motor, with its inherent precision and closed-loop control, is the indispensable choice. These
                  actuators are the fundamental building blocks that allow robots to physically interact with and manipulate their world

                                        Industrial Robot Goes Berserk
                                        In a Chinese factory, workers were testing a new human-sized robot when a small coding
                                        error made it go wild—swinging arms, kicking over a computer, and frightening engineers into
                                        a sprint for safety. The error was traced to a misplaced decimal point in the code.

                   actual funny         Learning: Attention  to  detail  in  programming  is  essential.  Tiny  mistakes  can have big
                      incidents         consequences—and sometimes, robot arms flying.

                  Sensors in Robotics: The Robot’s Perception

                  Sensors are indispensable components of any robotic system. They are transducers that convert physical phenomena
                  (like light, sound, touch, distance, motion) into measurable electrical signals that the robot’s control system can interpret.
                  Without sensors, a robot would operate blindly, unable to react to its surroundings or even know its own orientation. The
                  careful selection and integration of various sensors are critical for a robot’s ability to perceive, navigate, and interact with
                  the world effectively.

                  Let’s explore some of the most common and important types of sensors used in modern robotics:
                  Infrared (IR) Sensors

                  Description
                  An Infrared sensor  is a device  that  detects  infrared  radiation.  Infrared
                  radiation  is  a type  of electromagnetic  radiation,  just  like  visible  light,  but
                  with a longer wavelength, making it invisible to the human eye. In robotics,
                  these sensors typically consist of an infrared Light Emitting Diode (LED) as an
                  emitter and an infrared photodiode or phototransistor as a receiver.
                  Working Principle

                      The infrared Light Emitting Diode emits a beam of infrared light.
                  u
                      If there is an object in front of the sensor, this infrared light reflects off the object.
                  u
                      The infrared photodiode (receiver) detects the reflected infrared light.
                  u
                      The amount of reflected light detected by the receiver changes based on the distance to the object, its colour, and its
                  u
                      surface properties (e.g., reflective or absorbing). A shorter distance or more reflective surface usually means more
                      reflected light.

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                  Touchpad Robotics - XI

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