Electronics

Lesson 6 – Controlling your Robot The definition we have chosen for a “robot” requires the device to obtain data about its environment, make a decision, and then take action accordingly. This does not exclude the option of a robot being semi-autonomous (having aspects which are controlled by a human and others which it does on its own). A good example of this is a sophisticated underwater robot; a human controls the basic movements of the robot while an on-board processor measures and reacts to underwater currents in order to keep the robot in the same position without drifting. A camera onboard the robot sends video back to the human while onboard sensors may track the water temperature, pressure and more. If the robot loses communication with the surface, an autonomous program may kick-in causing it to surface. If you want to be able to send and/or receive commands from your robot, you will need to determine its level of autonomy and if you want it to be tethered, wireless or ful...

The term inkjet printer is very descriptive of the process at work -- these printers put an image on paper using tiny jets of ink. The term laser printer , on the other hand, is a bit more mysterious -- how can a laser beam , a highly focused beam of light , write letters and draw pictures on paper? In this article, we'll unravel the mystery behind the laser printer, tracing a page's path from the characters on your computer screen to printed letters on paper. As it turns out, the laser printing process is based on some very basic scientific principles applied in an exceptionally innovative way. The Basics: Static Electricity The primary principle at work in a laser printer is static electricity , the same energy that makes clothes in the dryer stick together or a lightning bolt travel from a thundercloud to the ground. Static electricity is simply an electrical charge built up on an insulated object , such as a balloon or your body. Since oppositely charged atoms are ...