Life in the robotic lab

REEM-B presented in Abu Dhabi (1 of 3)

If you are reading this blog, you should know already that the last robot we built is called REEM-B and that the project was sponsored by the firm Pal Technology, from the United Arab Emirates (to know how it happened, you should wait the post on "How everything started").
In June 2008, the phase "REEM-B" was supposed to end: in other words, the second generation of humanoid robot was supposed to be up and running.
To demonstrate our work to our "BIG BOSS" (His Highness Sheik Tahnoun), the last December we planned to do a "demo". But what happened is that this demo (that at the beginning was planned in February) has been postponed and become bigger and bigger.

An when I say "bigger", I mean in the UAE way: BIG!!!

What I expected to be an informal demo in front of BOSS, become a press conference on a stage and with a lot of people and press involved in the event.
The date was postponed so much that, after a couple of months, the guys of the team decided to bet on it (our mechanical engineer Enric won, by the way).

11th of June: the day of the Armageddon. 

That day, I would have the opportunity to demonstrate what the team achieved in front of the world (I am not exaggerating, if you think about it).
In a short demonstration of just 20 minutes, we had to prove if the project was a success or a disaster.
Was it worth to spend the last 3 years working so hard, sacrificing so much?
It was the only opportunity to get a true answer. I did not expect someone to give me that answer: the 11th of June I would know it.
At the beginning of June, all the "REEM team" left Barcelona to go in Abu Dhabi and prepare the setup for the robot...

By the way, do you know that in Abu Dhabi there is a huge artifical island that is under construction called "REEM"?
1) No, it is not a conincidence.
2) No, the name of the island does NOT come from the robot...

4. Robocup (June 2002)

I will be straight: Robocup in Fokuoka was a bloody disaster!

(By the way, the day I arrived in Japan the Italian football team lost against Koreaduring the World Championship… no comments).

The RoboCup was indeed very cool: we were located in a baseball stadium (indoor) and there were several football fields with robots of any size (including the robot dog Aibo) playing football by themselves.

That week I had few opportunities to visit Fukuoka (but a nice one to meet Japanese girls ). Japan is a very nice place to visit, and I hope I will have the opportunity to come back there as tourist.

Anyway, let’s talk about robots!

 

During the 4 days of setup before the competition my and the rest of the class mates tried hard to make move the robot but, even if we worked until late night all the days, there was no way to make our “champions” stand by themselves. We could not compete (but anyone expected it) and I can remember that I was quite sad and disappointed that all that work was a waste of time.

I clearly remember that I was lying on a bench, looking at the ceiling and thinking: ”we are stupid! This was too bad, I don’t want to see a robot for the rest of my life!”.

In that precise moment (it is true, I am not trying to make the story more interesting) I heard a voice from the closing ceremony saying:”the next robocup will be given in Padova, Italy".

I get up at once and I though: “fuck, Italy! I can have my revenge! I know what to do: I will come back to my university in Torino and I will create MY OWN Robocup team!”.

One more time I ask to my readers: how many probabilities did I have that EXACTLY the following year Robocup would be given at few kilometers from the place were I was going to spend my last academic year?

Few my friend, very few… but you can not stop destiny when it has decided what to do with your life.

The calm before the storm (2 of 3)

Abu Dhabi in June is very hot: we had up to 49 ºC and a lot of humidity and a lot of humidity.
On the other hand, when you are inside a building or a car, Emirates people likes to keep air conditioning at a temperature that would freeze a polar bear.
I have been in UAE several times, but it was the first time for some of my team members. Usually people from western countries are a bit suspicious before they visit Abu Dhabi, but the second impression is always good (we always enjoy asian food a lot and people are very open and friendly).
In the 5 days before the press conference we have been trying the robot and everything was going smooth.
On the other hand, we were observing the stage were the demo was going to be given becoming bigger and bigger and we realized that the demo was going to be spectacular.
It was exiting and scaring at the same time and I could not predict if everything would work well or not.
The 8th od June I had the opportunity to meet for the first time His Highness ("Big Boss" for friends) and I was very surprised and pleased to find that, even if he is a VVVVVIP, he his a very nice person, that does not need to overstress his hierarchical position to be respected.
We had some nice moments, as for example the day when we had to show the robot to the President of Panama.
The 10th was the day to do the rehearsal with the presenters, the light, the audio and so on. There was even Big Boss (that was not expected to assist the rehearsal).
Introduction of the speaker, light, dramatic music and a signal from the director: "robot, steady... go".
REEM does not move.
Silence...

"I have got a problem".
"what is going on with the wireless connection?"
"Ok, ok, it moves... Fuck, i cannot stop it ! Catch it!"
"This is not going to work, reboot it".

Second rehearsal: one of the motors on the foot ot the robot stop working and the robot almost falls.

"Ok guys, open the foot and see what is going on with that motors".

In few minutes, all my hopes regarding the success of the demo crashed down.
And I felt crashed, too.
I searched a corner to stay alone and nerves got to me: could it be this the end of it?
After half an hour Joan come to talk me and he told me: "come on Davide, come back with the other people of the team".
I don't think people understand what I felt, I don't expect them to do it and I don't need them to agree with me. What I felt was just mine.
But it was time to come back to my position and be a man. And so I did.