EmotaBot is robot that evokes empathy in users by reacting to neglect in a way that imitates conciousness.

In the developing world of AI (Artificial Intelligence) the concept of conciousness is a prominant topic of discussion. The question everyone is asking is "can machines have conciousness?." Unfortunately, the answer isn't so simple; conciousness is defined by many different abilities and cannot just be measured as a binary answer. For our project, we were tasked with reproducing some of these defining abilities in order to give our robot the appearance of conciousness; specifically its ability to react to abuse. When placed in a confined space, the robot will become increasingly uncomfortable, until it becomes completely panicked. Throughout the process, it expresses its grief with a series of movements and changes in expression. This scenerio is inspired by pet neglect. Pets are often left in their carts/cages by their owners when they become too burensome. We wanted to recreate this situation because we were interested in the passivity of this kind of abuse.

Our project is a spherical bot with an ultrasonic sensor to evaluate its surroundings. It rotates 360 degrees on a stepper and the face moves up and down on a servo. In addition, the face has two micro servos above the eyes for eyebrows, giving it the ability to emulate facial expressions. Our robot is entirely 3D printed with lasercut acrylic circles placed over the outer shell of the bot in order to let an RGB LED shine through. The light will be yet another indicator of the robot's mood.

The Geared Vehicle is for a time in the future when quicksand covers 90% of the earth. This vehicle is able to elegantly traverse even the most dangerous quicksand pits using its innovative geared wheeled system. The vehicle is able to both go straight and backwards. And by bilaterally disengaging the gears, the vehicle is able to turn left and right. After the Great Sandstorm, human survival will depend on vehicles like this to allow us to continue to traverse great swaths of what is now a giant desert. 

     Our world is mountainous with difficult terrain to traverse. The ‘Segmented Mountain Climber’ is able to deftly maneuver up and down the steep mountainsides, and over their sharp peaks. Its Whegs, half wheel half legs, are able to climb over both small rocks and large boulders. It can also quickly reverse, turn and is able to continue movement even if flipped upside down. 

Studio Description

 وصف الأستوديو

Our planet is changing, with issues like desertification becoming more serious. Desertification is when fertile lands turn into deserts, often because of climate change and human activities. People everywhere are finding ways to tackle this  problems. One way is using more renewable energy, like from the sun or wind, because it doesn't pollute the air. New technologies, including robotics, can also help. Advances in materials science and nanotechnology are helping us build smarter, more efficient robots. These robots might one day help us turn desert lands into fertile soil.  

In this studio, students will develop a vision for new Eco-droids that will help protect nature, and allow to fight back against any threats. They will explore emerging renewable technologies, and focus on desertification, as one of the most prominent environmental & ecological issue in KSA.  Students will gain a basic understanding of energy principles, mechanics and  the application of robotics to enhance our planet's health and our own well-being. 

يتغير كوكبنا ، وتصبح قضايا مثل التصحر أكثر خطورة. يحدث التصحر عندما تتحول الأراضي الخصبة إلى صحراء ، غالبًا بسبب تغير المناخ والأنشطة البشرية. يجد الناس في كل مكان طرقًا لمعالجة هذه المشاكل. إحدى الطرق هي استخدام المزيد من الطاقة المتجددة ، مثل الشمس أو الرياح ، لأنها لا تلوث الهواء. يمكن للتقنيات الجديدة ، بما في ذلك الروبوتات ، أن تساعد أيضًا. يساعدنا التقدم في علوم المواد وتكنولوجيا النانو على بناء روبوتات أكثر ذكاءً وكفاءة. قد تساعدنا هذه الروبوتات يومًا ما في تحويل الأراضي الصحراوية إلى تربة خصبة.

في هذا الاستوديو ، سيطور الطلاب رؤية لبيئة عمل آلية جديدة تساعد في حماية الطبيعة وتسمح بمقاومة أي تهديدات. سيقومون باستكشاف التقنيات المتجددة الناشئة ، والتركيز على التصحر ، باعتباره أحد أبرز القضايا البيئية والبيئية في المملكة العربية السعودية. سيكتسب الطzلاب فهمًا أساسيًا لمبادئ الطاقة والميكانيكا وتطبيق الروبوتات لتعزيز صحة كوكبنا ورفاهيتنا.

Skills & Technologies