TEMPERATURE SENSING – 21136

In a robotic system, temperature sensing is one of the easiest things to do. Digital thermometers are commonplace nowadays, and cost very little. The output from a digital thermometer can be fed directly to a microcomputer or robot controller, allowing a robot to ascertain the temperature at any given location.

Temperature data can cause a robotic system to behave in various ways. An excellent practical example is a fleet of fire-protection robots. Temperature sensors can be located in many places throughout a house, manufacturing plant, nuclear power plant, or other facility.At each sensor location, a critical temperature can be determined in advance. If the temperature at some sensor location rises above the critical level, a signal is sent to a central computer. The computer can dispatch one or more robots to the scene. These robots can determine the source and nature of the problem, and take action.