Robotics I Presentation HERO 2000 Gone But Not Forgotten

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Robotics I PresentationHERO 2000Gone But Not
Forgotten

• Rick Irons
• April 3, 2003

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Presentation Summary

• Introduction
• History
• Interfacing
• Features
• Critique
• Future
• Sources
• Acknowledgments

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IntroductionThe HERO 2000

• Weight 78 lbs.
• Height 32.4 in.
• Width 16.5 in.
• Length 22.5 in.

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History

• Created in late 1980s by Heathkit Educational
  Systems
• Target audience Hobbyists
• Worked with the HERO while an undergraduate at
  Boston College (1991)
• HERO was already out of production, but about 8
  HEROs were maintained for an undergraduate
  Robotics course taught by Professor James Gipps

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Interfacing
3 Modes Available

• Terminal Mode
• Remote console connected to HERO and functions as
  a portable ASCII terminal.
• Link Mode
• External computer connected to HERO. We used
  this mode with the HEROs connected to
  Macintoshs (Apple IIs?).
• Remote Mode
• Remote console used remotely to edit a single
  line of text and transmit to a HERO.

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Interfacing (Continued)

• Could directly control HERO using the keypad on
  the HERO and also the Remote Console.

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Features

• Hardware
• 8088 Microprocessor (12 Mhz?)
• 64K ROM
• 24K RAM expandable to 576K
• HERO 2000 BASIC interpreter stored in ROM. BASIC
  interpreter contains HERO specific commands.

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Features (Continued)

• Remote Console

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Features (Continued)

• Battery Charge Dock

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Features (Continued)

• Base Movement
• Four wheel drive base
• Diamond configuration.
• 26lbs maximum pulling force
• BASIC Commands
• Right and left base motors
• RHT ,,
• LFT ,,
• Distance in inches
• Speed 0-slow 7-fast

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Features (Continued)

• Arm Movement
• Shoulder range 0 to 120 degrees
• Arm
• Servo motor controlled
• Six axes of motion
• ARM ,,

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Features (Continued)

• Arm Movement (Continued)
• Elbow range 0 to 180 degrees
• ELBOW ,,
• Wrist
• Roll Range 180 to -179 degrees
• Pitch 180 to -90 degrees
• WRIST ,,,

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Features (Continued)

• Arm Movement (Continued)
• Gripper
• GRIP ,
• is in the range 0 (Closed) to 9 (Fully
  Opened).
• FORCE ,
• Range is -6 to 8. Negative values open gripper
  and positive values close it.

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Features (Continued)

• Torso Movement
• Range of 180 to -165 degrees
• TORSO ,,
• Position 0 at front of the base
• Miscellaneous Movement Commands
• HOME - Places all axes of motion into home
  position.
• MPOS(X) - Returns current position of motor X.

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Features (Continued)

• Sensors
• Temperature
• TEMP - Returns temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
• Sound
• SOUND - Returns a sound level reading taken from
  the microphone in relative units.
• Light
• LIGHT()
• Returns a relative light reading from the light
  sensor at degrees.

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Features (Continued)

• Sonar
• Head sonar
• Rotates 360 degrees
• SONAR()
• Expression is angle to take reading from
• Max distance 127.5 inches
• 0.5 inch resolution
• Base sonar
• SONARB
• 0.5 resolution

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Features (Continued)

• Speech
• SAY
• HERO says words specified by
• Mispronouncing is possible
• Can spell out words phonetically
• SAY p a ie v m eh n t
• Must be in brackets
• Attributes also available
• Amplitude, Duration, Inflection, Notes, Filter
  Frequency, Modes, Rate, Articulation

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Features (Continued)

• SPEAK
• Same as SAY except plain text is not allowed.
• Everything in the is assumed to be a
  combination of mnemonics and attribute
  specifications.
• Message transmission code.

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Critique

• Advantages
• Valuable educational tool.
• Cool design.
• Lots of features (Sensors, Arm, BASIC
  Interpreter, Speech, Movement).

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Critique (Continued)

• Disadvantages
• Broke down often.
• Sensor and movement capabilities were rarely
  accurate. The same sensor or movement command on
  different robots often produce different results.
• Needed to be a technical person to be able to do
  anything worthwhile.

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Future

• None, apart from die hard hobbyists.
• Boston College has two HEROs, but neither are
  functioning.
• Searched Ebay for any HERO auctions (complete
  HEROs or parts). Nothing found. Not a good
  sign.
• Was the HERO A robot before its time?

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Sources

• HERO 2000 Users Manual
• Memory of BC Robotics course
• HERO 2000 Web page
  http//www.robotprojects.com/hero2000/her
  o2000.htm

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Acknowledgments

• Professor James Gipps Boston College
  SOM CS Dept.
• HERO 2000 Users Manual
• Ellen Irons
• Help with presentation layout