DPRG mailing list archives: [DPRG] Robotics Universities

Thu Dec 14 13:53:54 CST 2006

Hi Mohammed:

Further to Randy's comment about robotics being suited for multi-disciplinary and long-distance studies, let us ask what the purpose is for this new field of studies. Recently Discovery featured robotic camel jockies used now instead of children at the camel race track in Dubai. These are apparently quite sophisticated humanoids with partially autonomous and partially tele-robotic controls. Among various reasons for using robots instead of children, the safety of the children is an obvious one.

As for distance education, why could those Dubai robotic jockies not evolve into distance educators? After a fun-filled day at the race track they step into the classroom and teach VS.NET programming for example. The teaching could be sent out world-wide by You Tube or the Dubai jockies could be cartoon-scripted by SW into special courseware. Recipients would not even need Internet if the courseware is downloaded in other countries and snail mailed out in CD and DVD format to remote villages where just one modest computer could become the "robotic teacher".  Why do it? For the sake of billions of children worldwide who otherwise do not have access to such an education.

PtP
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mohammad El-Abid 
  To: rmd at newmicros.com ; dprglist at dprg.org 
  Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 11:19 AM
  Subject: RE: [DPRG] Robotics Universities

  I don't really care about location I'm going many years in advance so I don't think that will be a problem, especially if I find a good company that has the program where they pay for collage if you come work for them, I'm just not sure they let you chose, but then again if you got someone that is going 3 ½ - 4 years yearly you might do a lot. 

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  From: Randy M. Dumse [mailto:rmd at newmicros.com] 
  Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 1:13 PM
  To: 'Mohammad El-Abid'; Dprglist at Dprg.Org
  Cc: Brian Huff
  Subject: RE: [DPRG] Robotics Universities

  UT Arlington has two major robotics groups. One is an autonomous vehicles lab which does both ground and air vehicles, and the off campus research site, Atomation and Robotic Research Institute. Dr. Brian Huff is an occassional club participant. He's from the industrial engineering department, and his graduate students do it all, mech, programming, design, everything.

  I teach robotics at UNI in the Physics Department, long distance over the internet. It's part of their digital electronics training. We cover the physics principles in the semiconductors, the design of the circuits, microprocessors, programming, and the EM forces in the actuators. In short, robotics is too broad a subject to be approached from only one discipline. It's fine to specialize in some field, like mechanics, or in electronics, but it won't make you a roboticist. You need a much broader exposure. Consequently, it is not possible to predict which department to look into to find the best robotics classes.

  I haven't heard of much robotics at UTB, or UTD, SMU, althought the club does have members from those organizations. Are you thinking of going out of state?

  Randy

  www.newmicros.com

  Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 12:52 PM
  To: 'Austin Robotgroup Mailing List'; dprglist at dprg.org
  Subject: [DPRG] Robotics Universities

  Hello, it seems like I'm going to a university real soon, I was wandering what is a good robotics university? And when I go for it while it only be mechs. Or will there also be programming?

  Thanks in Advance,

  Mohammad

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