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AUTONOMOUS MINE CLEARING ROBOTS
by John Piccillo
§1 - After a tragic incident killed a marine who was clearing unexploded
sub-munitions, the military decided to give the job to a
robot. Enter Joe Jones and FETCH, a mine clearing robot being developed by IS
Robotics. Jones showed a video of FETCH
searching, picking up, and safely depositing sub munitions in a weedy field with
natural obstacles. FETCH is a tracked vehicle
that uses IR (infrared) to detect obstacles, GPS (Global Positioning Satellite)
and an electronic compass for navigation, a Radio
Shack metal detector, and behavior-based programming for intelligence.
§ 2 - FETCH goes to a predetermined position to start its search, using IR to
navigate around obstacles while enroute. From its
starting point, FETCH initiates a spiral search pattern. When a sub-munition is
found, a magnet is used to pick it up. FETCH
then carries it to a dump site for later destruction.
§ 3 - FETCH isn't a loner. A collection of these robots operate under
"supervised autonomy" to clear a field of numerous mines.
Each robot goes about its business, working on assigned targets, unless it
detects a failure in its operation. It then signals an
operator of the difficulty. The operator can intervene at many levels from
reassigning to another mine, to controlling individual
wheel movements.
§ 4 - FETCH uses the following sensors and behaviors:
For Dead Reckoning
- Electronic Compass
- GPS Receiver
- Shaft Encoders
For Searching
- Metal Detector
For Obstacle Avoidance
- IR emitter/detectors
For Obstacle Escape
- Bumper
For Supervised Feedback
- Video Camera
§ 5 - In typical behavior-based fashion, a fixed-priority arbitration scheme is
used to control the drive system. The robot is
commanded to GOTO a start position, and then SEARCH unless the bumper initiates
an ESCAPE, or the IR detector
commands an AVOID maneuver, or the operator issues a remote CONTROL command.
§ 6 - FETCH is an excellent example of the important work that can be done with
low-cost, autonomous robots. Occasionally,
an individual robot may by destroyed by exploding ordnance (= sub-munitions);
however, at less than $2,000 apiece (=
each), that's a small price to pay.
photo courtesy of www.isr.com
Reprinted from RobotMag.com ( ww.robotmag.com/hardware/mine.html ) by permission
of Robot Science & Technology
Magazine, California
Warming up
1/ Ask the students what they know about the use of robots in industry and why
they tend to replace men more and more.
2/ Gradually focus the conversation on the issue of safety and narrow it
furthermore to Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
3/ Hand out the following text and have the students read it quickly ( if
necessary some explanations can be given).
A robot named Pioneer is about to creep into the most contaminated areas of the
infamous Chernobyl nuclear plant. It
will work in facilities that no human has seen in 13 years. Pioneer’s
stereo-vision technology will give a 3-dimensional
picture of the damage so that engineers can plan how to deal with the most
contaminated portions of the reactor.
Adapted from Popular Science, July 1999
4/ The discussion can now proceed to oppose / compare remotely-operated and
autonomous vehicles and to imagine the kind
of navigation equipment that is required..
5/ The main text can now be handed out.
Comprehension exercises
1 - Here is a summary of the document. Underline the passages which do not
express the ideas of the text.
After a marine had been killed by a robot / while he was looking for
sub-munitions,/ the military decided to use Joe Jones's
robot./ This robot can look for sub-munitions, / pick them up,/ transport them
to a safe place/ and destroy them.
The robot is able to calculate its route, / to avoid obstacles and navigate
around them./ But it can only move in spiral patterns./
Once a magnetic device has detected and picked up sub-munitions, the unit
signals an operator for instructions./
In normal operation, no operator is required./ However if there is a problem,
the operator issues commands / thus taking full
control of the robot./
Since the robot is not very expensive / it is no problem if it is destroyed /
when exploding the sub-munitions.
2 - Vocabulary and questions
§1- Vocabulary:
sub-munitions. What does the prefix 'sub' mean? ( above? under? near?) Do you
know a few words with this
prefix? You can also think of 'subgroup', 'subassembly', 'subtitle'. Here what
does sub-munitions refer to: shells? bullets?
weedy: look it up in a dictionary
tracked: look at the picture
Choose the right equivalent:
a. a mine clearing robot being developed by IS Robotics =
a mine clearing robot which IS robotics is developing ? a mine clearing robot
which is developing thanks to IS Robotics ? a mine clearing robot which IS
Robotics develops?
b. behavior-based programming for intelligence =
behavior which is based on programming and which is / represents the robot's
intelligence? programming which is based on
behavior and which is / represents the robot's intelligence? the base of the
bahavior is a program which is / represents the
robot's intelligence?
Right or wrong?
Joe Jones is the manufacturer of Fetch
Navigation is possible by using only a compass.
Fetch uses a metal detector to find the mines.
Fetch's only activity is to find mines.
§2 - Vocabulary:
a dump site. Look the word up in a dictionary. How would you say' jeter des
ordures'? 'un dépot d'ordures'?
destruction: What is the verb? what are the adjectives?
A magnet is used to pick it up: does this mean 'être habitué' ? 'être utilisé'?
while enroute : contracted adverb clause (= forme élliptique) Does it mean:
while the robot is en route = on its way? while
obstacles are on its way?
Questions.
What is the IR system for? ( answer with 'to')
How does the robot move?
How does it pick up the mine? What does it do it with?
§3 - Vocabulary: a loner : built with 'alone' + ER. Is this word a noun, a verb,
an adjective? What does the suffix -ER mean (
think of driver, worker, player.)
unless: except if = sauf si.
Questions
Is the robot completely autonomous?
Who decides which mines to clear?
What happens if there is a problem?
Has the operator got a wide choice of solutions?
§4 - Vocabulary: a bumper = parechoc ( US= fender) What does 'bump into' mean?
(e.g. a car has bumped into mine)
Complete:
GPS and an electronic compass allow ...
searching for mines is done by ...
The robot uses infra red .... and .... in order ....
The bumper allows ...
the purpose of the video camera is to permit ...
§5 - Fill out the table
SIGNAL GIVEN BY RESULT
GOTO
SEARCH
ESCAPE
AVOID
CONTROL
§6 - Explain the meaning of ' a small price to pay"
What are the advantages of the robot?
3 - Fill out the technical data sheet. (Write NA if data is not available)
NAME of the product
DEFINITION ( main use)
MAKER'S NAME
ADDRESS and COUNTRY
PUBLIC CONCERNED
USES
PRICE
OPERATION PRINCIPLE
TECHNICAL DATA
ADVANTAGES
DRAWBACKS
Grammar
1- Read again paragraph 2 and use: by sing, by means of, by + ING to explain how
Fetch navigates, moves to search and
picks up the mine.
2- Use of 'to': look at paragraphs 1,2 and 3 and find examples of 'to' which may
be:
a preposition used after a verb (e.g. I want to do...) [1 occurrence]
a preposition expressing to whom you do / give / say something (e.g. He said to
me) [1 occurrence]
a preposition indicating place or direction (e.g. Go to the station) [2
occurrences]
a particle indicating aim / purpose (e.g. They use a robot to detect mines) [5
occurrences]
a preposition used in co-ordination with another one to describe a range (= une
gamme) (e.g. the temperature varies
from 10 to 100°C) [1 occurrence]
3 - Passive
a - Look at paragraph 6. Pick out the two verbs in the passive and recast the
sentences in the passive.
b - Turn into the passive:
A tragic incident killed a man...
...so the military gave the job to a robot.
IS Robotics has developed this robot
Jones showed a video of fetch.
Fetch detects obstacles thanks to an IR system,
it uses GPS and an electronic compass for navigation.
The robot can pick up and carry away sub-munitions.
Writing exercise
1/ Complete the following summary by turning the verbs between brackets into the
correct form.
1 - This article is about a mine clearing robot ( call ) FETCH.
2 - It ( develop ) by IS Robotics;
3 - The robot ( send ) to its starting position,
4 - and from there, it (navigate ) over the place in spiral patterns.
5 - Its position ( calculate ) by GPS and a compass.
6 - It ( use ) a metal detector: it ( search ) for munitions.
7 - A magnet ( enable) the unit ( pick up) the munition.
8 - the munition ( carry ) to a dump site later.
9 - If the robot encounters a problem, the operator ( warn ),
10 - and he ( can ) ( take) appropriate measures.
11 - The robot is not expensive;
12 - it is no real loss if it ( destroy ).
2/ Improve your first draft
Link sentences 1 / 2 with a relative pronoun so as to avoid 'it'.
Sentence 6: recast expressing aim;
Link sentences 7 / 8 with a relative pronoun so as to avoid repeating 'the
munition'.
Link sentences 9 / 10 expressing consequence
Link sentences 11/ 12 expressing cause
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