M
O
WAY
Title
: mOway Beginner Manual
Rev
: v2.1.3 – March 2011
Page
5
of
65
www.moway-robot.com
1. Prologue
The dawning of a new era; the era of the minirobots. Increasingly more mobile
robotics applications enter our daily life. We can currently find robots which help us
with simple tasks like cleaning household floors, mowing the lawn or keeping the
swimming pool clean. As technology keeps improving, these small devices which blend
mechanics, electronics and software are performing more and more complex tasks*.
They are slowly introducing themselves into our lives in a useful manner and reducing
the burden of unpleasant jobs.
It’s not too far-fetched to think that the revolution which took place in the IT or
telecommunications fields will be repeated with robotics in the next decade. Enough
technology is currently available to manufacture these devices and society is also ready
to receive them in the market. Yet, a specific catalyst is needed to start this revolution.
People also need to be ready and prepared to identify in what fields microrobotics may
have an opportunity and which new applications may be interesting to implement.
Up till now processors weren’t able to move. But today things have changed.
Software is one of the fundamental elements in the world of mobile robotics. The main
difference between developing a program for these robots and running it with a personal
computer is interaction with the environment. The environment isn’t changing randomly
in PC applications, so decision making and programming are simplified. On the other
hand, when running commands for a minirobot application usually the result is
unknown, therefore algorithms have to consider situations with a wider range of
possibilities, some of them unexpected.
The mOway robots are tools specifically designed for teaching and research. Their
purpose is to bring the world of autonomous robots closer to the teaching centers.
mOway’s main purpose is to be a useful tool for those who are being introduced
for the first time to the world of the minirobots as well as for those who are already
experienced and wish to perform complex collaborative robotic applications.
mOway aims to stimulate enthusiasm for this new and exciting branch of
engineering in a prompt and enjoyable way through the practical exercises included in
this manual.
- An easy and entertaining way to learn.
- This book’s purpose: to be mOway’s Manual and not a comprehensive book on
minirobotics.
This manual has been implemented to assist learning how to use mOway. It
provides some basic notions on using mOway and its functions in a quick and clear
manner.
