A self-feeding robot
Eduardo Torres-Jara · DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) · 2002
The Problem: The goal is to build an autonomous robot capable of acquiring its “food ” when “nourishment ” is needed. In this case, the “food ” is the electric energy acquired from power outlets in the walls. The robot uses this energy to recharge its batteries in order to maintain an adequate level of energy for operating. Motivation: Biological models have been the inspiration for much of the current Embedded Robotics research, as in the work done by Brooks [2]. Perhaps, some of the most important contributions are the emotional models. In these models, complex behaviors are represented in successful ways such as in robots like Kismet [1], and Coco. However, some aspects of living creatures have not been completely explored in these models. One of these aspects is the need that living creatures have for food in order to maintain an adequate energy level to function. In order to satisfy this need, living creatures have certain capabilities for acquiring food. These skills not only satisfy their food requirements, but also contribute greatly to their autonomy and survival. Consequently, acquiring “food ” to maintain an adequate level of energy is an important consideration for the attainment of robotic autonomy. Figure 1: Self-Feeding Robot Previous Work: The idea of implementing a robot with the capability of “feeding ” itself can be tracked down to Walter’s robot [5, 6, 7]. It is interesting to note that Walter referred to his robot as an “Imitation of Life ” [5]. His robot