Robotics Robotics History Robotics Technology Types of Robots

First use of work “Robotics” Three law of Robotics The First Robot “ Ultimate”

The acclaimed Czech playwright Karel Capek ( ) made the first use of the word ‘robot’, from the Czech word for forced labor or serf. Capek was reportedly several times a candidate for the Nobel prize for his works and very influential and prolific as a writer and playwright.

Law One: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Law Two: A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with a higher order law. Law Three: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with a higher order law.

The first Unimate was installed at a General Motors plant to work with heated die-casting machines. In fact most Unimates were sold to extract die castings from die casting machines and to perform spot welding on auto bodies, both tasks being particularly hateful jobs for people. Both applications were commercially successful, i.e., the robots worked reliably and saved money by replacing people Unimation is still in production today, with robots for sale.

Robotics Technology Most industrial robots have at least the following five parts:

Most robots of today are nearly deaf and blind. Sensors can provide some limited feedback to the robot so it can do its job. The sensor sends information, in the form of electronic signals back to the controller. Sensors also give the robot controller information about its surroundings and lets it know the exact position of the arm, or the state of the world around it.

An effector is any device that affects the environment. Robots control their effectors, which are also known as end effectors. Effectors include legs, wheels, arms, fingers, wings and fins. Controllers cause the effectors to produce desired effects on the environment.

Actuators, also known as drives, are mechanisms for getting robots to move. Most actuators are powered by pneumatics (air pressure), hydraulics (fluid pressure), or motors (electric current). Most actuation uses electromagnetic motors and gears.

The robot connects to a computer, which keeps the pieces of the arm working together. This computer is the controller. The controller functions as the "brain" of the robot. The controller can also network to other systems, so that the robot may work together with other machines, processes, or robo ts

The robot arm comes in all shapes and sizes and is the single most important part in robotic architecture. The arm is the part of the robot that positions the End Effector and Sensors to do their pre-programmed business. Many (but not all) resemble human arms, and have shoulders, elbows, wrists, even fingers. This gives the robot a lot of ways to position itself in its environment.

Mobile robots are able to move, usually they perform task such as search areas. A prime example is the Mars Explorer, specifically designed to roam the mars surface. Mobile robots are a great help to such collapsed building for survivors Mobile robots are used for task where people cannot go. Either because it is too dangerous of because people cannot reach the area that needs to be searched.

Rolling robots have wheels to move around. These are the type of robots that can quickly and easily search move around. However they are only useful in flat areas, rocky terrains give them a hard time. Flat terrains are their territory.

Robots on legs are usually brought in when the terrain is rocky and difficult to enter with wheels. Robots have a hard time shifting balance and keep them from tumbling. That’s why most robots with have at least 4 of them, usually they have 6 legs or more.

Robots are not only used to explore areas or imitate a human being. Most robots perform repeating tasks without ever moving an inch. Most robots are ‘working’ in industry settings and are stationary

Autonomous robots are self supporting or in other words self contained. In a way they rely on their own ‘brains’. Autonomous robots run a program that give them the opportunity to decide on the action to perform depending on their surroundings. At times these robots even learn new behavior.

An autonomous robot is despite its autonomous not a very clever or intelligent unit. The memory and brain capacity is usually limited, an autonomous robot can be compared to an insect in that respect. In case a robot needs to perform more complicated yet undetermined tasks an autonomous robot is not the right choice.

Virtual robots don’t exits in real life. Virtual robots are just programs, building blocks of software inside a computer. A virtual robot can simulate a real robot or just perform a repeating task. A special kind of robot is a robot that searches the world wide web.

BEAM is short for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics and Mechanics. BEAM robots are made by hobbyists. BEAM robots can be simple and very suitable for starters.