Comments on: PR2 Gets Better At Plugging Itself In

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:44:25 +0000

I think an inductance sensor would be much faster. There has to be a degree of electricity which leaks through the air, and a wire loop and a bit of math could easily pinpoint the exact location the plug should be to optimally fit into the socket.

It seems like a lot of people go with cameras for show, because it seems like robots without cameras are blind, however if you want a robot to do something well give it the sense it needs for that task instead of something which is not as well suited.

Most humans actually use touch because the socket is at an awkward angle; we stab, and slide it across the surface with gentle pressure until it’s successfully in the socket, however a robot does not have this privilege because it does not own the socket and a user might be upset with the marring the robot might cause on the socket.

By: Scott Stanford

Scott Stanford — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:26:02 +0000

Also, note that plugging in right the first time instead of repeated stabbing is significantly better for the outlet itself. If your robot plugs itself in a few times a day, you’d crack the cover plate after a few weeks with the stab-and-retry method.

By: kwc

kwc — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:39:58 +0000

Thanks for the post. Your assertion is right — it guided us to success in Milestone 2. This was done by a small team to port our old Milestone 2 code to our new codebase and robot. While the increased accuracy was desired, I’d say that the new calibration, forearm cameras, and code base made it a natural consequence of updating the code. Your last sentence hints at some more motivation: this is a test for things to come.

By: seabird

seabird — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:32:35 +0000

Gee, i dunno, I kinda like it when it struggles. It gives it more character xP Besides, this is painfully slow.