This week in Robotics/Mechatronics I received my assignment, and I began brainstorming ideas for it. The task is very open-ended, requiring the design and creation of a circuit that solves a problem. The problem has to allow for ethical discussion, which is the only real prohibiting factor. Due to the open-ended nature, there are a nearly endless number of ways I could approach the task. Me and a class-mate are fascinated by Boston Dynamics robots, and both wanted to create a Robodog. This would be very cool to experiment with, especially considering this could be the subject of reccurring improvements with each new assignment. Having a somewhat sophisticated Robodog at the end of year 12 is a very exciting prospect, and would tie in well with my year 12 presentation. It may be beneficial in the long term to choose a project that does not fit these task requirements perfectly, regardless of whether it is a Robodog or not.
Spot the Robot (Intuitive Robots, n.d.)
If I were to create a Robodog, it would need to solve a real-world problem, that does not involve just being cool. I also have to determine what part of the Robodog I would create, as it is not likely that I make a fully functioning one in two weeks. Maybe I use ultrasonic sensors to determine surroundings and give a display of the surroundings. Maybe I create dog legs, and a body, getting the dog to be your personal companion. This will require some deeper thought, especially into the future assessment possibilities.