Text Summary of Video Stream: NASA welcomes all participants at NASA Centers and HUD Neighborhood Networks

Text Summary of Video Stream: This is an Inter-Agency collaboration that is offering you this webcast today.

Text Summary of Video Stream: HUD has over 800 Neighborhood Networks Centers throughout the U.S. NASA has content on Robotics and other scientific projects of interest. The collaboration was a natural one.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Communicating knowledge is one of the NASA mandates under the NASA Strategic Plan.

Text Summary of Video Stream: We accomplish this through the Learning Technologies Project and Robotics Education Project among other projects, which can be found on the NASA Home Page www.nasa.gov

Text Summary of Video Stream: NASA and the country have a vested interest in improving the scientific literacy and capabilities of America's students.

Text Summary of Video Stream: In the future, NASA will be launching dozens of exploratory robots to learn all we can about our planet and our Solar System.

Text Summary of Video Stream: You can participate by watching these missions on the
NASA web site, by mentoring students or by studying math and science
Which COULD lead to you being an active part of one of these teams.

Text Summary of Video Stream: This event is scheduled for one hour. We will be offering a brief summary capturing some of the many uses found for robots today.

Text Summary of Video Stream: We will then have comments from people who work in the field of robotics at NASA and then cover some of the student competitions available that NASA co-sponsors. We will also hear from a student that has participated in these programs.

Text Summary of Video Stream: You can participate by sending questions via the chat room during the video and interviews. We will have two NASA content experts to provide answers. Where they cannot answer, we will do our best to get an answer back to you this week.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Please identify your first name and state in the chat so we know who you are and where you are participating from. You may also want to fill out the survey on the HUD site when we are finished.

Text Summary of Video Stream: A taped replay of this live event will occur at 6PM Pacific Time.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Perhaps you'll find that this field is of interest to you and we encourage you to study or volunteer as a mentor or co-sponsor.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Please note: We are not implying future employment by NASA, those decisions are made by the respective project and personnel offices.

Text Summary of Video Stream: For information on competitions and internship qualifications contact your closest NASA Center or go to the LTP or REP web page or NASA home page. These pages are listed at the end of this clip.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Video clip 14.5 minutes

Text Summary of Video Stream: Shuttle Astronaut points out how Shuttle remote manipulator is a fully functional robot.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Robots are all around us performing all kinds of functions.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Robotics terminology: "Robot" comes from the Czech word "Robota" meaning "repetitive labor" [example of a repetitive, remote control process shown.]

Text Summary of Video Stream: "Robotics" means "the study and application of robot technology."

Text Summary of Video Stream: "Telerobotics" means "a robot operated remotely", usually via a television monitor.

Text Summary of Video Stream: "Articulate" means "to move in a jointed fashion" just like a human arm does.

Text Summary of Video Stream: "Degree of Freedom' denotes each plane a robot can move in. The shuttle arm has six degrees of freedom.

Text Summary of Video Stream: An "End Effector" is "a device at the end of a robotic arm used to grasp things." The Shuttle arm uses a pattern of wires that operate like a camera aperture.

ROBOTICS RESEARCH

Text Summary of Video Stream: We move to the Robotics Architecture Lab to see a maneuverable robot avoiding objects.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Some robots can recognize faces and hand gestures.

Text Summary of Video Stream: A robot with the ability to demonstrate advanced dexterity in its "hands" is the DART Dexterous Anthropomorphic Robotic Testbed.

Text Summary of Video Stream: AERCam is an example of a robotic Camera used on the International Space Station.

Text Summary of Video Stream: AERCam weighs 35 pounds on Earth and is the size of a basketball.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Testing of AERCam is shown. Including views normally hidden from the fixed cameras.

ROBOTS ON MARS

Text Summary of Video Stream: Pathfinder, a robotic rover, has explored portions of Mars. This will help humans eventually travel to Mars.

Text Summary of Video Stream: The Exploration Technology Program at NASA JPL now has a rover under development called FIDO, a terrestrial version of the Athena Rover.

Text Summary of Video Stream: This development requires mechanical, electrical, software and systems engineers, instrument developers, scientists and technicians.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Discussion of need for development for this 2003 Mission.

Text Summary of Video Stream: We need to explore the surface of Mars to see what there is to see.

Text Summary of Video Stream: But the question is…do we have the ability, the capability to explore a planetary surface? [The FIDO prototype] allows us to say yes.

Text Summary of Video Stream: The ability to try out FIDO here, in the Mars Yard really allows us to develop the Athena Mission.

Text Summary of Video Stream: We can test and spin it off to a mission. We can test the hardware and software in advance.

Text Summary of Video Stream: URBIE is a robot from NASA that can be used in urban areas. URBIE can be used in search and rescue, as well as for other urban functions.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK IN ROBOTICS?

Text Summary of Video Stream: Interview with Research and Development staffers. Discussing work with CANINE rover.

Text Summary of Video Stream: Discussion of needs for software, mechanical and broad-based skills.

Text Summary of Video Stream: It also requires creativity to get the robot to act autonomously.

Text Summary of Video Stream: It requires trial and error and persistence.

Text Summary of Video Stream: End of Videotape

Text Summary of Video Stream: As you can see there are a wide variety of uses for robots. There are going to be openings in the manufacturing, petroleum, chemical and other industries, as well as in the exploration of Earth and Space.

Text Summary of Video Stream: The Department of Labor Occupational Outlook shows growing demand for tens of thousands of programmers, technicians, computer scientists and physical scientists over the next decade. Perhaps this might include you.

Text Summary of Video Stream: While we are not implying future employment by NASA, you can position yourself for that possibility by studying math and science. However, please remember, the respective NASA project and personnel offices make those decisions.

Text Summary of Video Stream: And now, we hope you have lots of questions. We have two experts here today.

Live session with two robotics experts doing Q and A with a chat (~15 min.)

Text Summary of Video Stream: Competition Videotape (8.5 min):

Text Summary of Video Stream: --FIRST Robotics Competition (High School Focus Mechanical Engineering)

Text Summary of Video Stream: --Botball Competition (Focus Electrical Engineering / Programming - Middle School)

Text Summary of Video Stream: Perhaps you are or you know of a possible source for: mentors, volunteers, team members, build-up facilities, co-sponsors, or shared funding. If so, contact us through the NASA REP web page. http://robotics.arc.nasa.gov

Text Summary of Video Stream: Live session with student talking about competitions and doing Q and A (~10 min)

Text Summary of Video Stream: Close. Thanks to all!!