Professors Robbie Berg (Physics) and Franklyn Turbak (Computer Science) have developed a robotics workshop class using Gleason Research Handy Boards. In their month-long course, which takes place over the January intersession, Wellesley students are free to design and build any sort of robotic device they can imagine.
These photographs were taken at the final project exhibition on January 30, 1997. The event was well attended with faculty, friends, and families. The students were proud to show off their amazing creations.
Gleason Research is pleased to display these
pictures, a sampling of several of the wonderful projects created by
the Wellesley students.
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In the Handroid project, Elena used two Handy Boards (which communicated using IR) to control a six-motor LEGO hand. The Handroid moved back and forth along a gear rack, and light sensors at the tips of each of its fingers counted keys as it moved. From a host computer, you could type in a sentence and Handroid would strike each key in sequence at its own keyboard. |
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Jennifer's sBOTina robot pet has a variety of behaviors, including walking, turning its tail, bobbing its nose, and opening and closing its mouth. sBOTina had a magnetic tongue, which would pick up steel "doggie biscuits," and a sensor that would detect when one of them was placed in its mouth. |
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Tiina's The Chimera was an incredible display of artistry and mechanical ingenuity. Not only did the Chimera flap its wings, with a wonderfully life-like motion, but it also walked on eight paws, responded to your patting its head (purring) or pulling its tail (meowing). Then the Chimera reached out to take an Origami bird out of your hand, using its magnetic tongue to grap the paper clip embedded in the bird's wing. |