Robotics Essays - Robot, Industrial Robot, R.U.R., Mobile Robot

Robotics Two years ago, the Chrysler corporation completely gutted its Windsor, Ontario, car assembly plant and within six weeks had installed an entirely new factory inside the building. It was a marvel of engineering. When it came time to go to work, a whole new work force marched onto the assembly line. There on opening day was a crew of 150 industrial robots. Industrial robots don't look anything like the androids from sci-fi books and movies. They don't act like the evil Daleks or a fusspot C-3P0. If anything, the industrial robots toiling on the Chrysler line resemble elegant swans or baby brontosauruses with their fat, squat bodies, long arched necks and small heads. An industrial robot is essentially a long manipulator arm that holds tools such as welding guns or motorized screwdrivers or grippers for picking up objects. The robots working at Chrysler and in numerous other modern factories are extremely adept at performing highly specialized tasks - one robot may spray paint car parts while another does spots welds while another pours radioactive chemicals. Robots are ideal workers: they never get bored and they work around the clock. What's even more important, they're flexible. By altering its programming you can instruct a robot to take on different tasks. This is largely what sets robots apart from other machines; try as you might you can't make your washing machine do the dishes. Although some critics complain that robots are stealing much-needed jobs away from people, so far they've been given only the dreariest, dirtiest, most soul-destroying work. The word robot is Slav in origin and is related to the words for work and worker. Robots first appeared in a play, Rossum's Universal Robots, written in 1920 by the Czech playwright, Karel Capek. The play tells of an engineer who designs man-like machines that have no human weakness and become immensely popular. However, when the robots are used for war they rebel against their human masters. Though industrial robots do dull, dehumanizing work, they are nevertheless a delight to watch as they crane their long necks, swivel their heads and poke about the area where they work. They satisfy "that vague longing to see the human body reflected in a machine, to see a living function translated into mechanical parts", as one writer has said. Just as much fun are the numerous "personal" robots now on the market, the most popular of which is HERO, manufactured by Heathkit. Looking like a plastic step-stool on wheels, HERO can lift objects with its one clawed arm and utter computer-synthesized speech. There's Hubot, too, which comes with a television screen face, flashing lights and a computer keyboard that pulls out from its stomach. Hubot moves at a pace of 30 cm per second and can function as a burglar alarm and a wake up service. Several years ago, the swank department store Neiman-Marcus sold a robot pet, named Wires. When you boil all the feathers out of the hype, HERO, Hubot, Wires et. al. a re really just super toys. You may dream of living like a slothful sultan surrounded by a coterie of metal maids, but any further automation in your home will instead include things like lights that switch on automatically when the natural light dims or carpets with permanent suction systems built into them. One of the earliest attempts at a robot design was a machine, nicknamed Shakey by its inventor because it was so wobbly on its feet. Today, poor Shakey is a rusting pile of metal sitting in the corner of a California laboratory. Robot engineers have since realized that the greater challenge is not in putting together the nuts and bolts, but rather in devising the lists of instructions - the "software - that tell robots what to do". Software has indeed become increasingly sophisticated year by year. The Canadian weather service now employs a program called METEO which translates weather reports from English to French. There are computer programs that diagnose medical ailments a nd locate valuable ore deposits. Still other computer programs play and win at chess, checkers and go. As a results, robots are undoubtedly getting "smarter". The Diffracto company in Windsor is one of the world's leading

security on the Internet essays

security on the Internet essays Internet has become an essential tool for daily tasks. The options people have nowadays are limitless: banking, shopping, booking reservations, chatting, and so on. However, several drawbacks have arisen that are of concern to all of the internet users. Unfortunately, incidents of auction fraud, the sale of illegal items, and criminal trespassing are booming in the e-commerce market. The nature of the Internet and the ease of gaining anonymity on it, has made crime easy and catching criminals much more difficult. Many cases of fraud have occurred: people who collect payments from buyers and never ship the goods to them. Earlier in the summer, for example, former eBay seller Robert Guest pleaded guilty to mail fraud. Prosecutors had accused Guest of collecting approximately $37,000 from bidders for items he never shipped. 1 Cases like these are a real drawback for e-commerce. The lack of tangibility has been a major obstacle in doing transactions online and these cases only serve to destroy the little confidence that consumers have gained so far. Many people are hesitant to shop online, for example, and when they hear of fraud cases it only serves to confirm their initial fears. That is why organizations such as The Better Business Bureau (BBB) and The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are educating consumers to protect themselves. These agencies know that thousands of consumers are taking advantage of the opportunity to shop from the comfort of their homes via personal computers. A person can b uy anything and avoid crowded malls, long lines and busy parking lots. Furthermore, the Internet is always open: 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. In order to actually benefit from online shopping, certain things must be taken into consideration. The BBBs Web site contains a section that offers tips on What You Need to Know About Cybershopping. 2 The tips are the following: When dealing with a new merchant...

Managing projects in engineering and construction Lab Report

Managing projects in engineering and construction - Lab Report Example First, before commencing my project, I developed a time schedule to guide me during the project. The activities listed in my time schedule included organizing for meetings with my supervisors and lecturers for training and orientation before commencing the experiment. Besides, I came up with a separate project plan outlining the specific phases and procedures of the actual experiment. In addition, I made a visit to the school laboratory to book a date on which to perform the triaxial tests. An early reservation ensures that all the necessary pieces of equipment for the experiment are available on the experiment day. A tamping rod, a measuring scale, a measuring cup, de-aired water, a spatula and, pair of scissor is the equipment required in the experiment. Additionally, I acquired a small notebook on which I recorded my meetings with the lecturer and supervisors. I also ensured that the supervisors and laboratory technicians signed the notebook. Signed notebooks serve as evidence for the attended meetings. In an attempt to account for the resources I used during the research, I prepared a budget and a time plan for the activities. Budgets and time plans ensure effective and efficient use of resources. Besides, time plans and budgets act as monitoring and evaluation tools, helping me identify failures and making necessary adjustments to the project In any experimental project, there are potential challenges likely to occur. I planned for some difficulties liable to affect my experiment.

Mid sized corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mid sized corporation - Research Paper Example Therefore it would be ethical to settle the case with Mr. Larry and also to pay him certain amount of money as a result of which he doesn’t reveal the secrets of the company. However certain policies like termination, penalty or certain other strict punishment must be imposed upon him if this happens in the near future (Herman, 2010). If he is not stopped from doing so then there are chances that he may repeat these kinds of activities. As the company is under at-will state which states that the employees can quit at any time as well as the employer can fire an employee at any time for any reason (Runkell, n.d.). Hence if this is repeated in the near future the company has the right to terminate him as per the law. Herman, S., (2010). Male Sexual Harassment Claims on the Rise. Addressing Male Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Retrieved Online on October 1, 2010 from http://www.hrmreport.com/news/male-sexual-harassment-claims-rising/ Ricadela, A., (2010). HP’s Former CEO Said to Settle with Sexual-Harassment Accuser. Bloomberg. Retrieved Online on October 1, 2010 from

Ethical case study to student in HRM class Essay

Ethical case study to student in HRM class - Essay Example Mr. Hady shall obey to boss. Since the decision has to be taken on time therefore, obeying this will benefit the company, Mr. Phill and himself. This decision will be harmful in two areas; first, Mr. Hady would not be able to satisfy himself for doing this wrong thing and in case this act causes competitor to lose the opportunity mainly due to crucial information exposed to their competitor i.e. Mr. Phill. This decision will be based solely on the discretion of Mr. Hady and without mutual consent of everyone involved. Mr. Hady can give the benefit of doubt of competitor’s incapability to convince SAGA Engineering management as Mr. Phill will extract information after that day’s presentation is over and competitor already had the chance to present their high points. Avoiding obeying this order would benefit all, though of course may not be in short term. This will satisfy Mr. Hady for not indulging in wrong act. There are chances that they may lose this deal, but will allow the deserved one to take it; hence, securing everyone’s right. Mr. Phill will get a chance to identify areas to polish his skills as nobody is perfect. This will also benefit Mr. Phil with secured standing in long term as successful person which will always be at risk anytime if such activity is disclosed. Firm will also be able to secure long term benefit with identification of their capacity to secure certain deals and in case Mr. Phills practice is disclosed it will question firm’s entire conduct. Moreover, it would be subjugation of MT’s right to deal if rival would have done something of the sort. Avoiding obeying this decision will ensure equal rights given to all. Both firms’ representatives are given equal chance to present their bid. Hence, winning or losing bid will solely on the basis of one’s expertise. In fact, overall, MT or Mr. Phill is in better position as time assigned to them for presentation is double

Literature - Postmodern Literary Criticism :: Literature Essays Literary Criticism

Postmodern Literary Criticism    Postmodernism attempts to call into question or challenge the notion of a single absolute unified master narrative without simply replacing it with another. It is a paradoxical, recursive, and problematic method of critique.    It encourages transcendence through or in spite of limitation, while simultaneously decentering the concept of absolute transcendence. To this end, it encourages the development of a heightened sense of self in relation to itself and the world around it.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Postmodernism assumes an ontology of fragmented being. Where modernism asserts the primacy of the subject in revealing universal truth, postmodernism challenges the authority of the subject and, thus, universal truth based on it. Modernism and postmodernism, however, draw upon distinctly different epistemological modes: critical and dogmatic.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Modernism posits itself as a source of dogmatic knowledge. Dogmatic knowledge is an unchanging, absolute ideology. It has found the Truth or believes it is possible to acquire it. Knowledge is objective, tangible and quantifiable. The dogmatic mode attempts to subordinate further critical thinking in order to spread knowledge of Truth.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Postmodernism, on the other hand, aspires to reflect the critical. Critical knowledge is a process, rather than product. Absolute knowledge is unattainable, conditional, and provisional at best. Any unequivocal sense of the real is rendered superfluous. Truth, therefore, remains elusive, relativistic, partial, and always incomplete; it cannot be learned in totality. "Truth itself is a contingent affair and assumes a different shape in the light of differing local urgencies and convictions associated with them" (Fish 207). Critical knowledge has no choice but to exercise complicity with the cultural historical context in which it is hopelessly mired. As Lee Patterson states, "Even scholars who are dealing with chronologically and geographically distant materials are in fact examining a cultural matrix within which they themselves stand, and the understandings at which they arrive are influenced not simply by contemporary interests but by th e shaping past that they are engaged in recovering" (259).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Postmodern literary criticism asserts that art, author, and audience can only be approached through a series of   mediating contexts. "Novels, poems, and plays are neither timeless nor transcendent" (Jehlen 264). Even questions of canon must be considered within a such contexts. "Literature is not only a question of what we read but of who reads and who writes, and in what social circumstances...The canon itself is an historical event; it belongs to the history of the school" (Guillory 238,44). Literature - Postmodern Literary Criticism :: Literature Essays Literary Criticism Postmodern Literary Criticism    Postmodernism attempts to call into question or challenge the notion of a single absolute unified master narrative without simply replacing it with another. It is a paradoxical, recursive, and problematic method of critique.    It encourages transcendence through or in spite of limitation, while simultaneously decentering the concept of absolute transcendence. To this end, it encourages the development of a heightened sense of self in relation to itself and the world around it.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Postmodernism assumes an ontology of fragmented being. Where modernism asserts the primacy of the subject in revealing universal truth, postmodernism challenges the authority of the subject and, thus, universal truth based on it. Modernism and postmodernism, however, draw upon distinctly different epistemological modes: critical and dogmatic.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Modernism posits itself as a source of dogmatic knowledge. Dogmatic knowledge is an unchanging, absolute ideology. It has found the Truth or believes it is possible to acquire it. Knowledge is objective, tangible and quantifiable. The dogmatic mode attempts to subordinate further critical thinking in order to spread knowledge of Truth.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Postmodernism, on the other hand, aspires to reflect the critical. Critical knowledge is a process, rather than product. Absolute knowledge is unattainable, conditional, and provisional at best. Any unequivocal sense of the real is rendered superfluous. Truth, therefore, remains elusive, relativistic, partial, and always incomplete; it cannot be learned in totality. "Truth itself is a contingent affair and assumes a different shape in the light of differing local urgencies and convictions associated with them" (Fish 207). Critical knowledge has no choice but to exercise complicity with the cultural historical context in which it is hopelessly mired. As Lee Patterson states, "Even scholars who are dealing with chronologically and geographically distant materials are in fact examining a cultural matrix within which they themselves stand, and the understandings at which they arrive are influenced not simply by contemporary interests but by th e shaping past that they are engaged in recovering" (259).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Postmodern literary criticism asserts that art, author, and audience can only be approached through a series of   mediating contexts. "Novels, poems, and plays are neither timeless nor transcendent" (Jehlen 264). Even questions of canon must be considered within a such contexts. "Literature is not only a question of what we read but of who reads and who writes, and in what social circumstances...The canon itself is an historical event; it belongs to the history of the school" (Guillory 238,44).

My Passion in Singing

My Life Without music, my life would be a mistake because I exist in a world filled with songbirds. I live in a world filled with colorful hopes and dreams. I dream to climb the ladder of fame but I realize that living simply is my happiness while doing my very best to achieve my dreams no matter how high or low they are. I have many affiliations since elementary and most of these are into singing because it is one way of expressing myself. When I was a child, I already use my talent in singing because one of my dreams is to make my name shine in lights and make my faces known to everyone in the world.I started singing in front of a crowd when I was 6 years old. Each one in our class was required to sing, and I was amazed at how my classmates and teacher admired my voice. That was the day when I found out that there was something special in me. That was the day when I started to dream of singing in front of more people and not just in front of the mirror. Because of that event, teach ers and student leaders approach me whenever there is an event in our school and they ask me to render a song number. I always agree and prepare.At the end of each song number, I always feel glad. I know I made others happy by entertaining them, and I made myself happy because I just had another chance to sing in front of a huge crowd. Nothing makes me happier than getting that experience and making myself more prepared to chase my bigger dream which is to become a famous singer. I always sang Japanese songs when I was elementary and through this, I became a regular singer at Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku for three years. I am also a cantor and psalmist at San Pedro Cathedral Parish.I have been part of Star Magic Davao since 2011 because I believe that it could also pave my way to being known nationwide. I takes part in their workshop and treats these as my training. I also believe that these will equip me with the right skills I will need in order to reach my dream. I am doing everythin g I can to achieve my dreams but staying humble. My angelic voice is a God-given gift so I must share this gift to everyone and not to hide it. I believe that through singing, I please our Creator.My passion for singing, coupled with love for music comes from deep within my heart, mind, and soul. Singing is my cigarette, alcoholic drink, my escape from anger and pain. I really love singing because I think it is not just an art, it is a means of expressing one's emotion. Today, I am just a typical young girl but with all my efforts, I may be seen as a star in the future. There may be obstacles standing in my way but I hope I can go through these smoothly and succeed in reaching my dreams.