November 8, 2000

Robot Club gears up for bright future

Club members excited about prospect of robotics

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       If you haven't thought much about robots recently, the time has come to consider these mechanical marvels again.
      While modern-day robots still fall short of their Hollywood billing - no melting shape shifts or ship guiding in the cards - they are here to stay in industries such as manufacturing and defense. Lending a claw in everything from car assembly to underwater exploration to reconnaissance missions, robot experts forecast a leap into consumer use in the next 15 years.
      Far from being intimidated, local robot enthusiast Paul Grayson is thrilled at the prospect.
      "By the year 2015, experts predict robots will be as common in homes as personal computers are now," said Grayson, chief engineer of American Industrial Magic, a machinery design and repair company in Traverse City. "The subject of robots has really caught on. There is a lot of technology available and even the computing power available at a garage sale, like old 486s, can power some pretty sophisticated equipment."
      Three months ago, Grayson formed Robot Club of Traverse City to spread the word and share his excitement about robots. Meeting monthly at the Manufacturing Technology Academy, a program of the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District, members have robots to play with there as they swap parts, magazines and robot stories. Grayson brings boxes of old engineering and robotics magazines to share, hoping to spur interest in the field.
      Not shy about their mechanical pursuits, the 10 attendees at last month's meeting know the score about robots.
      "Robots are cool, they are exciting, they are fun," said Jacob Christopher, a junior in the Manufacturing Technology Academy from Suttons Bay and a club member.
      At last month's meeting, Robot Club members donated a book on robotics to the Traverse Area District Library. One of the Academy's two robots did the honors, passing "RADICAL ROBOTS: Can You Be Replaced?" by George Harrar to Margaret Braden, adult services coordinator for the library.
      Several students at the Manufacturing Technology Academy programmed this computer-controlled 'arm' for extra-credit.
      "We learned to control the robots the first day," said Phillip Norris, a junior student at the Manufacturing Technology Academy and a member of the Robot Club. "It took just 15 minutes to set up this program."
      Grayson's lifelong romance with robots began with the silver screen images of clunky robots in numerous science fiction 'B' flicks of his youth.
      "I was born in 1950 so I grew up with these things on television and movies like 'Forbidden Planet,'" said Grayson, who studied automation at Purdue University, graduated from Naval Nuclear Propulsion School and received a degree in Marine Engineering from Northwestern Michigan College.
      "My grandfather worked for Edison in Menlo Park so I come from and long line of artists and inventors."
      An engineer, Grayson finds robots the ultimate engineering problem. The teamwork required between professionals in the computer, electronics, mechanical engineering and fabrication fields fascinate him.
      "You get results in the computer simulation, but the world gets messy when you try to build a real robot," said Grayson, whose work with the Navy has included some of the world's most sophisticated robots. "Personal robots are still for hobbyists but that will mature into domestic products, where you can just go down to the local electronics store and buy one."
      The Robot Club of Traverse City meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Manufacturing Technology Academy, 715 E. Front Street. Their next meeting is on November 14 and anyone interested in robotics is welcome. For more information, call Grayson at 946-0187 or e-mail pgrayson@traverse.net.