Shakey the robot facts for kids
Shakey the Robot in its display case at the Computer History Museum
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| Manufacturer | SRI International |
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| Year of creation | 1966 |
| Replaced by | Flakey the robot |
Shakey the Robot was a very special machine. It was the first mobile robot that could think for itself. Unlike other robots that needed step-by-step instructions, Shakey could understand a big task. Then, it would figure out all the smaller steps needed to complete it.
This project brought together ideas from different areas. These included how robots move, how computers "see" the world, and how they understand human language. Shakey was the first project to combine smart thinking with physical actions. It was built at SRI International, a famous research center.
Some important discoveries came from the Shakey project. These include the A* search algorithm, the Hough transform, and the visibility graph method. These tools are still used today in many computer programs.
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What Was Shakey the Robot?
Shakey was a groundbreaking robot built between 1966 and 1972. Charles Rosen, Nils Nilsson, and Peter Hart led the project. Many other smart people helped create Shakey. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) provided funding for this research. They wanted to explore "Intelligent Automata," which means smart, self-moving machines.
Shakey was first designed to have two arms that could move in and out. Today, Shakey is retired from its work. You can see it in a glass case at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. Shakey's project inspired many other robot designs, like the Centibots.
Shakey's Brain: The Software
Shakey's computer programs were mostly written in a language called LISP. The Stanford Research Institute Problem Solver (STRIPS) was like Shakey's main planning brain. It helped Shakey figure out how to reach its goals.
Shakey lived in a simple, limited world. This world might have a few rooms connected by hallways. There were doors and light switches that Shakey could interact with.
Shakey had a short list of actions it could plan. These included moving from one place to another. It could also turn lights on and off, and open or close doors. Shakey could even climb onto objects and push things around. The STRIPS planner could create a plan for all these actions.
Imagine someone typed a command like "push the block off the platform." Shakey would then look around. It would find the platform with the block and locate a ramp. Shakey would then push the ramp to the platform. Next, it would roll up the ramp and push the block off.
Shakey's Body: The Hardware
Shakey was a tall robot. It had an antenna for a radio link, which helped it communicate. It also had sonar sensors to measure distances, like a bat. A television camera helped it "see" its surroundings. Inside, it had small computers to process information. It also had "bump detectors" to sense if it hit something.
The robot's tall size and its tendency to wobble gave it its name. Charles Rosen, one of the project leaders, explained it. He said, "We worked for a month trying to find a good name... then one of us said, 'Hey, it shakes like hell and moves around, let’s just call it Shakey.'"
Big Discoveries from Shakey
Shakey's development had a huge impact on robotics and artificial intelligence. It also influenced computer science in general. Some of the most important results include:
- The A* search algorithm: This is a smart way to find the best path between two points. It's used in many places, like GPS navigation and video games.
- The Hough transform: This method helps computers find shapes and lines in pictures. It's used in image analysis and computer vision.
- The visibility graph method: This helps robots find the shortest path around obstacles in a flat area.
Finding Paths and Seeing Shapes
These tools helped Shakey understand its world and plan its movements. They are still fundamental parts of how robots and smart computer programs work today.
Shakey in the Spotlight
In 1969, SRI released a 24-minute video about Shakey. It was called "SHAKEY: Experimentation in Robot Learning and Planning." This video helped Shakey gain a lot of media attention.
The robot was featured in the New York Times on April 10, 1969. In 1970, Life magazine called Shakey the "first electronic person." National Geographic Magazine also covered Shakey in November 1970. They explored the future of computers. The awards for the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence's video competition are even named "Shakeys." This shows how important that 1969 video was.
Shakey was honored in 2004. It was added to Carnegie Mellon University's Robot Hall of Fame. It joined famous robots like ASIMO and even C-3PO from Star Wars. Shakey also received an IEEE Milestone award for its achievements in electrical engineering and computing. The BBC documentary Towards Tomorrow: Robot featured Shakey in 1967.
