Robotics, the future awaits

Robotics will be the future. At least that is what I believe. As I wrote in my previous article The Future of Careers, or lack there of... robots will become commonplace and that inspired an idea. I wanted to explore what it would take to build a robot.

This idea took root in my mind, and I set forth pulling out an Arduino I had stashed in my house somewhere and began experimenting with the microprocessor. I subsequently decided to build a robotic car, and successfully did so, to a simplistic degree. It was powered by a 9v battery, and did not stay powered for long, but it was my foray into the world of robotics. It taught me that I could build robots using inexpensive parts. Using YouTube, and my own creativity, tenacity (aka being stubborn), and problem-solving abilities, I could build robots.

I also decided to post videos documenting my exploration of robotics on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NeuroDude64. After posting a couple videos about the robotic car, I decided to transition to building a robotic arm. This was inspired by my love of biology and medicine. I wanted to build something more medically focused, something that could resemble the robots used in surgeries. The only problem was I did not, at the time, have access to a 3D printer to build my arm with, so I decided to use popsicle sticks instead. I figured, by documenting my work on YouTube, the fact that I used easily accessible resources to build a robotic arm could be beneficial to others who may want to follow my example.

During my work on the arm, which I successfully built and can be found in this video: https://youtu.be/qTNt3ImDldo?si=NwfUEXWyto47RQGq, I was gifted a resin 3D printer. I just recently got this resin printer working, and that is a huge accomplishment. It needed some cleaning and maintenance before it could be functional. Additionally, the resin used to print with is actually toxic, so I had to buy a lot of safety equipment before I began printing. Fortunately, I successfully and safely, after many hours of failed attempts and not knowing if I was doing things correctly, printed the example Rook piece using grey water-washable resin. (The rook broke while I was trying to take it off the build plate, oops...) This 3D printer is a amazing tool I now have in my toolbox that I can use to improve my robots.

The first project I envision will be to build a new gripper for the robotic arm, and potentially new parts for the arm. I will also post videos about getting a power supply wired up and about a new robotic project I want to start with the 3D printer, soft robotics. I want to make soft robots that could be used around humans.

The field of robotics is just now getting a solid start, with new robotics companies sprouting up all the time, most likely spurred on by the success of AI and modern computers. If you are interested in this field, follow me on YouTube and follow along with me as I explore the field of robotics. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and try something you might fail at. I did, and I am so happy I took that first step!