engineering

InMoov

InMoov is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand InMoov rather than just read about it. In short: InMoov is a humanoid robot, constructed out of 3D printable plastic body components, and controlled by Arduino microcontrollers. InMoov is a robot developed for artistic purposes by French sculptor Gaël Langevin in September 2011.

Key takeaways

InMoov belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect InMoov to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of InMoov from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

InMoov is a humanoid robot, constructed out of 3D printable plastic body components, and controlled by Arduino microcontrollers. InMoov is a robot developed for artistic purposes by French sculptor Gaël Langevin in September 2011. (The first blueprint files were published in January 2012 on Thingiverse.) Its peculiarity is that it is reproducible with a simple 3D printer small format (12cm3) and its files are under Creative Commons license (CC-BY-NC). The project is a platform for development and robot learning. On this basis and through this concept there were developed different iterations. InMoov uses MyRobotLab software for control. MyRobotLab is an open source service based robotics framework. Its primarily written in Java, but has bindings for Python. It has a Web UI written in AngularJS which allows remote control. One of the services is a virtual InMoov which can be used to develop or test without the physical robot.

InMoov is able to perceive sound, see, speak and move independently. The robot is able to identify its environment and through micro-cameras in some projects recognize voice commands that are issued by the owner. It features different touch sensors, PIR and 3 dimensional, in addition, the Kinect allows InMoov to see and analyze the 3-dimensional space of the robot's environment. Through the use of open technologies and open source components such as printed circuit Arduino, many developers have changed InMoov in order to extend its functions to be used as the basis for many types of development. The most ambitious is the artificial recognition programs because the robot incorporates on its single platform a micro-camera, sensors and operating motion system, and the ability to connect to any computer. The original prototype participated in the Maker Faire Rome in 2013, where he aroused great interest for its potential as a development model for robotic prostheses. Because its parts can be entirely made with a 3D printer, its potential uses are varied.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with InMoov

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what InMoov claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to InMoov before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about InMoov ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of InMoov

In research: InMoov appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses InMoov in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: InMoov is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Humanoid robots, Open-source hardware, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for InMoov outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study InMoov in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what InMoov means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain InMoov out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is InMoov in simple terms?

Why does InMoov matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study InMoov?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on InMoov.