ENT3140- Topics and Perspectives in Emerging Media

SeEkeRs

Keywords: 

Flying Sphere

Seeker

Flying robot

Robot cell phone

Flying cell phone

Flying camera

Robot camera

Hover robot

Hover Sphere

Smart sphere

Abstract: 

This new product; which is currently being referred to as seekers, is designed to package all of a persons mobile needs and have them readily available at all times. When I say mobile needs I’m referring to what people need while they are on the go, or away from their stationary dwelling. These items include things such as cellular services, portable camera, safety deterrents, and other convinces that we as humans have grown custom to having with in arms reach.

Many can relate to being on vacation with friends and having the perfect shot, but no one to snap the picture. The least important or the person that booked last is always left taking the picture. The seeker will eliminate that problem completely. With the ability to hover the seeker will simply snap any photo that you wish. The seeker has the ability to snap close ups that you may not be able to reach.

Certainly this product is much more than a flying camera. The camera is just one of the many amazing features that the seekers have. Being that the seeker maintains a set distance, the communication between the seeker and owner is done through a small ear piece and mic that attaches to the owners clothing. The seeker is equipped with the same. A mic; you may ask? Yes. You have the ability to communicate directly with the seeker providing wireless commands. The seeker will respond with either a verbal response or an action. The seeker has countless abilities and features that make life a bit simpler.

Research:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/induction-cooktops2.htm

When researching for more information about how electromagnetism works, I came across this article which was very helpful. This article explained a lot about the history and the discovery of the relationship between magnets and electricity. Most would find this boring but knowing the core of something provide a lot of insight on something, especially if you are unsure how you are going to use it. This process involves using AC currents, with I am extremely afraid of so I’m learning a bit more about that as well. When researching electromagnetic the example used primarily is the maglev train. The force that’s created between the train and the tracks are powerful enough to keep the train suspended in the air at all times. 

Hovering ability

One of the main functions of the seeker is the ability to hover and follow the owner everywhere they go, while having the ability to maintain a set distance without colliding with other objects. The technologies which will enable the seeker to avoid contact already exist and are pretty accessible. However when it comes to the physics of hovering, things get a bit more in depth. The word hover means to “To remain floating, suspended, or fluttering in the air”. To achieve this there must be a few factors in place. You first have to have lift. This has been accomplished in a couple ways. The first option is using a fan effect or propeller. This is mostly what you see in helicopters and toy hovering devices. A propeller is shapes so that the tips of the blade spin faster than the center. The blade

is shaped so that the tips are steep at the hub and shallow at the tip. This enables even thrust from tip to tip. To achieve hovering, a propeller will create a thrust of air below allowing it to lift the object upward. The amount of thrust created by a propeller depends on how fast and at what angle its blades cut through the air. This would appear to be the easiest way; however with propellers in close proximity of other things, that may lead to disaster.

It’s obvious that to achieve lift you must create a force below greater than the weight of gravity as well as the object. Another way of creating this is with magnetic force or Magnetic levitation. This is a science that has been experimented with for a long time. Using strong magnets you can achieve both control and lift. Magnetic pressure is used to counteract the effects of the gravity.  Certainly not to the degree of a free roaming robot; however it could certainly contribute to how the seekers work. 

http://www.flying-robots.com/en/

http://www.buysku.com/wholesale/silverlit-z-bot-ir-remote-control-mini-flying-robot-color-optional.html?welcome=11150023

The Silverlit Z-Bot flying robot is operated by infrared remote control to fly forward, sideways, up and down. 

Beacon Technology  – Beacon technology can be found in devices today such as the Roomba; which has the ability to seek out its charging dock and return to a set position. Beacons uses a set of IR (inferred) beams which can be detected by assigning certain points with numbers; which is detectible by the object. This will be key technology to enable the seekers to identify its owner. Although this technology currently exist, it would need to be approve upon in order for the seeker to be able to reach it’s owner though possible obstacles.

https://sites.google.com/site/irobotcreate2/createanirbeacon

Wireless communication:

Wireless communication is certainly an emerging technology that we see growing everyday. However the growth is much of the same. Although I will be using cellular technology, the days of the hand held devices will be no more. Theoretically the device will only switch from a hand held device to a hovering device. With the ability of two way communication, the device will use voice recognition as well as Bluetooth (or something similar). The voice recognition will enable the device to receive and understand commands only by its owner. The Bluetooth will enable calls and data to be transferred back to the owner. Both technologies are showing rapid improvements.

Philosophical:

There are a couple of article that I read pertaining to some of the technologies that the seeker uses. While researching information on Magnetic levitation, I came across the term “Maglev”. This is a system of transportation that uses magnetic levitation to suspend, guide and propel vehicles with magnets rather than using methods such as wheels, axles and bearings eliminating friction therfore the acceleration and deceleration is much more effeciact than the wheeled transportation. This train does require a huge amount of energy; only that to offset the drag. This technology allows the train to maintain its top speed more that the conventinal trains which makes it faster. It is also non effected by wheather. Currently there only two commercial maglev transport systems in operation, in Shanghi and Japan.

Another article that I read was pertaining to robots that help around the house. In my attempt to find information on a flying robot with these capibilities I cam across this. The robout was created by a company called RoboDynamics out of California. They called it Luna.

Luna is the personal expandable robot. Made from hardware and firmware this robot is also considered affordable. Luna has a Dual Core Atom 2 GHz processor, a Linux-based operating system, and up to 32 GB of storage. The robot is equipped with a LCD monitor and wireless and cellular capabilities. Much like the seeker the robot also has an 8-megapixel camera, and a 3D sensor. She runs on a 12-volt battery, for 4-8 hours per charge.

This article shows me that there is a market for the seeker and that it is something that people want. Although the Luna lacks a lot of the features that the seeker will possess, it was the closest thing that I could find which would provide me with insight on how I should proceed with the design and functionality of the seeker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_sUeGC-8dyk

When we think of flying robots we can associate them with the drones that we use today in warfare. The have all of the communication abilities that the seeker will need; however how do we get that packaged down into the size of a baseball and make it accessible to the public. There is a New York Based company that was given $25 million dollars in order to come up with a robot to provide home security. With my research I’ve come across separate projects that have some of the features of the seeker but I have yet to find a product that has them all. 

Project Description: The Seekers will accommodate every function a person may need on the go; and more. The seeker is a baseball size hovering sphere that follows its owner everywhere they go. The look will be a shiny finish that is appealing to the eye. It will be made of light weight material and have a few LED lights that will be visible. The basic model will be equipped with the following features.

Cell phone service (ear piece /mic attachment) – This feature enable the owners to receive calls but eliminate the need to carry around a bulky object. Just like your current service the seeker will act as the device and receive the incoming calls. The calls will be transmitted to the owner via Bluetooth to a ear piece. The owner will simply speak to the caller through an attached mic. That is also how calls are made. A command is simply given to the seeker through the mic. You can even keep your same phone number!

http://www.bitrebels.com/technology/metatrend-new-technology-suggests-hovering-cell-phones/

HD Camera – In this day and age, everyone has a camera. Our lives revolve around them. Anything from safety, to social media a camera is an important item to have ready at all times. The seeker will be equipped with both HD video; which can be connected for live streaming, as well as the ability to take still shots. This feature can capture any moments and shots that the typical person may not be able to get to.

Safety Deterrent – Each seeker will also act as a guardian. I concluded that it was not a good idea to equip a flying robot with weapons and then sell it to the public. Therefore as opposed to a built in rocket launcher, the basic model will have a panic alarm that can be heard for miles, along with an unmistakablySOS light. This feature is sure to reduce crime.

Built in knowledge library – This is the best feature of them all. We all wish that we had the ability to know everything at all times. This is a characteristic that will surely get you anything that you desire. The seeker will have the ability to deliver this amazing ability. The seeker has the ability to store knowledge such as different, languages and

landmarks that can be access simply by asking into your mic. Any information that is not uploaded can quickly be searched and delivered if you have a WiFi connection. You can also place the seeker into listen mode, so it hears a question; either by you or someone else, it will automatically deliver the answer to you seamlessly and undetected.

The ability to communicate with other seekers – Being that the seekers will be the hottest selling item, everyone will have one. The seekers onboard memory bank can store information about you. For instances you can store information such as your name for a quick introduction to another person, via seeker. You can also store information such as a resume for quick delivery. Each seeker will have privacy settings therefore the “Public” information can be managed. By public I mean the information that can be read by other seekers. The seekers will make breaking the ice on an introduction much easier. Another great feature that this will enable is the ability to link you bank account to pay for items. The seeker can communicate with a credit card reader just like your card currently does; and simply deduct the amount from your linked account.

Timeline:Below is an outline of how this project has progressed. My goal was to research the technology involved with the Seeker and build an interactive game that will allow people to see the features of the Seekers.

Journal Entries / Events 

Entry #1

Since my last presentation, my next step is to learn a bit more about the technology that I plan to use to achieve the hover effect with the Seekers. I researched the internet and found some great article that explained, first the history of electromagnetism and then how it actually works. I’ve heard and knew a little about it, just what was learned in physics; however I didn’t know how it could be applied to my project. I decided that I now I knew a bit more about it through my readings, I should now focus on learning how the forces can be controlled. 

Entry#2

This week I focused on learning a bit more about how to control the fields involved in using electromagnetic forces to achieve the Seeker hover effect. Not only does the Seeker need to hover, it also needs to be able to move in all directions. I found a few articles about controlling the fields, as well as some home experiments. I plan to use one of the home experiments to assist with my tangible deliverable. I think that at this point I can move forward with working on the video game presentation for the deliverables, which is going to take the most time. I have enough research information on the technology to update my paper for the final.

Entry#3

I started to outline the set up of the video game presentation and how it will look.  I focused on the setup and playability. The game will have the ability to outline each feature that the seeker has, therefore I will be working with a lot of animation and sound.

I was able to complete a solid plan for the set up. I will begin with selecting the characters and building the environment.

Entry#4 

Since my last entry I have started building the environment of the video game. This is pretty much the area that the player will be navigation. I have a pretty clever idea which should go over well in the presentation. After the environment is complete I will add the characters and best of all the Seekers!

Entry#5 

I have completed the environment and have been designing how the game is played. I’m animating the characters, and adding the controllers. I should have this wrapped up by my next entry where I will start the process of constructing my tangible (other) deliverable. 

Deliverables: 

The deliverables will consist of two pieces. I will construct a replica of the sphere out of plastic. I will equip it with the LED lights. I will then program a completely interactive game, using blender which will demonstrate how the seeker will work as well as some of the features.  With the game I will provide a key that will have a list of the features that can be demonstrated with a key stroke. Some of the features will include the follow feature, the camera feature and the cell phone feature. I will also include other surprises as long as time allows. 

To go into a bit more detail, let me first explain the environment of the video game deliverable. This is an “open world environment” meaning you are free to roam all over and go where ever you want at anytime. The scene is the L.A. Mars Lab where the Seekers are being developed. The Lab is themed around my real life networking company therefore it will be branded with my logo. 

The lab will consist of multiple rooms where the player can venture to and interact with the seeker being created in that room. Different seekers have different capabilities therefore each room and seeker will offer some different features. I will create some of the environment itself to be interactive; however most of the attention will be on the seekers itself. The game will allow the player to have a third person view at how the seeker interacts with the environment, as well as have a view from inside of the seekers. You will see what they see! 

My second deliverable will be an actual model of the seeker; A replica. I will attempt to achieve a hover effect using different materials; however I have not been successful with achieving that effect up to this point. With that being said I have two designs for this replica. If I am able to achieve this effect, the materials will consist of something light weight and in the shape of a sphere. I will add attachments in an effort to better the presentation aspect. If I am unsuccessful with achieving the hover effect, the material will be a plastic sphere. This will include attachments for presentation as well. 

I chose to couple the tangible object along with an interactive game so that the complete story can be told. You have an object that you can touch, and although it’s not yet created; the game will allow you to see it working. If I’m provided funding to proceed with this project the initial bulk of it will go to making this product legal and safe.  Once I get past the red tape, I will hire the best scientist and physics that the budget allows, to reproduce this hover effect. Most of the other features exist currently in a more developed form; which is why I don’t focus a lot on them. Things such as cellular service, video streaming, and crime deterrents can be added to any object. However; when was the last time you seen a robot gradually floating down the street as if it was a dog being walked by its owner. The hover capabilities with be the primary focus with developing this product. This effect will have to be achieved on a controlled and at will basis. 

To achieve this I would set a time table of 20 years for full development and testing. With the right amount of money and people the technology can be achieved in 5; however making it safe and marketable will take another 15 years. It’s very similar to the pharmaceutical industry. The bulk of time and money is spent on testing, and more testing. It will require more than a decade of test and millions (if not billions) of dollars before it can be deemed safe for the public.