Free-Wheeling Robots

For more information regarding this feature, contact Kathy McDermott at kmm5@po.cwru.edu, 216-368-6518, or 1-800-368-CWRU.

FREE-WHEELING ROBOTS (running time = 1:49)

ANCHOR LEAD: IN THE ARENA OF ADVANCED ENGINEERING, STUDENTS AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY RECENTLY TOOK TO THE RING WITH ROBOTS DESIGNED TO FIGHT FOR AND COLLECT THE MOST EGGS. PROFESSORS CREATED THE COMPETITION TO SHARPEN STUDENTS' SKILLS DESIGNING MACHINES THAT CAN THINK ON THEIR OWN. MORE IN THIS REPORT:

VIDEO (misc. B-roll)

VOICEOVER: ARE THEY LUNAR ROVING VEHICLES?, OR ALIEN LANDERS COME TO STEAL EARTH'S EGG SUPPLY? NO, THEY'RE ROBOTS BUILT BY ENGINEERING STUDENTS AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY. IN A SMALL ARENA SET-UP BY PROFESSORS, STUDENT TEAMS PIT THEIR ROBOTS AGAINST EACH OTHER, TO SEE WHICH COULD COLLECT THE MOST BLACK OR WHITE EGGS AND DEPOSIT THEM IN THEIR OWN GOAL. THE ROBOTS HAD TO BLOCK OPPOSING ROBOTS FROM DOING THE SAME. SORT OF LIKE ROBOT EGG-HOCKEY. BUT MOST SIGNIFICANT IS THAT THESE ROBOTS ACT ON THEIR OWN; WITH COMPUTER CHIPS AND LIGHT-SENSORS, THE ROBOTS ARE PROGRAMMED TO RESPOND TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT INSTANTANEOUSLY. RANDY BEER AND HILLEL CHIEL ARE THE PROFESSORS WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE ROBOT EGG-HUNT.

SOT#1 / SUGGESTED SUPER: HILLEL CHIEL, CWRU ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY

(OUTCUE: "...to build those robots.") ( :22)

SOT#2 / SUGGESTED SUPER: RANDY BEER, CWRU ASSISTANT PROF., COMPUTER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE

(OUTCUE: "better engineered devices.") ( :23 )

VOICEOVER: THE ROBOTS WAGED EGG-WAR UNTIL A WINNING TEAM EMERGED. WHAT ALSO EMERGED IS THE REALIZATION THAT SOMEDAY SOON, ROBOTS LIKE THESE COULD RESIDE AT YOUR HOUSE, COOKING BREAKFAST EGGS-ACTLY THE WAY YOU LIKE.

[COMPUTER VOICE: "How would you like your eggs"?]

THIS IS TOM SHROUT REPORTING FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND.

-CWRU-