INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGY (Part 1)

Robotics technology consists of the devices, components, designs, and programming that have gone into development of robots as we

know them today. A large sector is industrial robotics, with many of the industrial robots being essentially a robotic arm. Read on for images and details about robots.

What is Robotics Technology?

Robotics technology has developed considerably since the author, Isaac Asimov, coined the term robotics in the early 1940's in one of his science fiction stories. Robotics is defined as: The science or study of the technology associated with the design, fabrication, theory, and application of robots, in the 2009 update of the Fourth Edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. This definition brings up the question, 'What is a robot?' There are indeed a number of definitions in use for 'robot.' A usable one that is attributed to the Robotics Institute of America (RIA) is: A robot is a reprogrammable multi-functional manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.

What do Robots Do?

Industrial robotics (Materials Handling)

In order to learn about robotics technology, it is helpful to learn a bit about robots and their capabilities. When the idea of robots was first developing, they were envisioned as humanlike in appearance and in behavior.

Industrial Robotics Welder

The greatest number of robots in use, however, are industrial robots, which do not look at all like humans. The images in this section show a couple of industrial robots, one doing material handling and the other doing welding. Many industrial robots, like the two shown here, look somewhat like an arm, and also go by the name 'robotic arm.'

Unimate, the First Industrial Robot

A large percentage of the robots in the world are industrial robots used in a wide variety of industries. Robots can do jobs that would be boring for humans and jobs that are dangerous or dirty. Robotics technology has developed to the point that robots can lift heavy objects, do precise assembly line work, pick something up and place it precisely where it needs to be, guide a machining operation, defuse bombs, or inspect sewers, just as a few examples.

 The first industrial robot, Unimate, was developed by George Devol, and was used for die casting handling and spot welding by General Motors. This was perhaps a predictor of things to come, because the automobile industry today is the largest user of industrial robots and robotic arms.

In addition to industrial robotics, another large sector is robot toys and robotics in games. Robots in this sector are more likely to have an appearance that is more like humans, and to have motion capabilities and the capability to do human types of activities.

The Components of Robots

One way of generalizing the nature of robotics technology is to categorize the typical components of robots. The components of a robot would typically include a power source, a means of sensing, actuators, a power source, a means of manipulation, an overall structure, and perhaps a means of locomotion. Robotics sensors are available to measure a wide range of parameters, such as light, temperature, sound, or acceleration. Actuators make robots or parts of robots move. The most commonly used actuator for robots is the electric motor. Batteries are a commonly used power source. A couple of ways that manipulation can be accomplished are with vacuum grippers or with mechanical grippers. Mechanical grippers are the most common means of manipulation. The first robots used as industrial robots were stationary and so didn't need any means of locomotion. Now robotics technology has advanced so that some robots require a means of locomotion to do the tasks for which they are designed. The simplest means of locomotion is four wheels, although some robots move by a number of different methods, including walking, snaking, or hopping.

Summary

Robotics technology goes back at most 70 years, to the time when Isaac Asimov first used the term robotics in his writing. The use of industrial robots, such as robotic arms, has grown tremendously, so that now industrial robots carry out a wide variety of tasks that are too boring, too dirty, or too dangerous for humans to do.

 ADVANTAGES OF ROBOTICS IN ENGINEERING

Some advantages of robotics, like improved quality and quantity of production, are due to the mechanical nature and computerized control in industrial robotics technology. Other advantages of robotics are due to freedom from human characteristics like boredom and the ability to do dangerous tasks.

Background

The advantages of robotics have become more apparent as industrial robotics technology has grown and developed in the 50+ years since the first industrial robot, Unimate, was put into use in the 1950s. About 90% of the robots in use today are in the industrial robotics sector in factories. As of 2004, about 140,000 industrial robots were in use in the U.S., as reported by the Robotics Industry Association (RIA). Robots are now also used in warehouses, laboratories, research and exploration sites, energy plants, hospitals, and outer space.

The advantages of robotics can be classified into four major categories: 1) quality/accuracy/precision; 2) Efficiency/speed/production rate; 3) Ability to work in environments that are unsafe or inhospitable for humans; 4) Freedom from human limitations such as boredom and the need to eat and sleep.

Advantages of Robotics #1: Quality/Accuracy/Precision

Unimate - the First Industrial Robot

Many industrial robots are in the form of a robotic arm. The image at the left shows Unimate, the first industrial robot, which has the appearance of a robotic arm. The image in the next section shows a contemporary industrial robotics arm. Due to its mechanical nature and computerized control, a robotic arm can carry out a repetitive task with great precision and accuracy, thus providing improved, consistent product quality. This would apply to quite a variety of production line tasks, like welding, assembling a product, spray painting, or cutting and finishing.

Advantages of Robotics #2: Efficiency/Speed/Production Rate

The same features of industrial robotics technology mentioned above, the mechanical nature of the equipment and the computerized control, make industrial robotics technology more efficient and speedy, leading to higher production rates than with human labor. Another aspect of efficiency is that robots can be mounted from the ceiling and have no problem with working upside down. This can lead to a savings in floor space.

Advantages of Robotics #3: Ability to Work in Environments that are Inhospitable to Humans

This is an interesting set of advantages of robotics. There are a number of tasks that are too dangerous, too exposed to toxins, or just plain too dirty for humans to conveniently do them. These are ideal robotics tasks. This includes tasks as simple as spray painting, because there is no need to worry about the robot inhaling the paint fumes! It also includes such daunting tasks as defusing bombs and such dirty tasks as cleaning sewers.

Advantages of Robotics #4: Freedom from Human Limitations like Boredom

This set of advantages of robotics is due to the fact that human characteristics like boredom from doing a repetitive task don't interfere with the functioning of a robot. There is some overlap with the first two categories of advantages of robotics, because the lack of interference from boredom leads to greater accuracy, quality, and rate of production. There is more to this set of advantages of robotics, however. Since a robot doesn't need to rest or eat, and never gets sick, a robotic arm can work 24/7, with only limited occasional downtime for scheduled maintenance.

Limitations of Robotics

An article about the advantages of robotics wouldn't be complete without some discussion of the limitations of robotics. In spite of the very useful set of advantages of robotics discussed above, there are some tasks for which human beings are better suited than robots. For example:

○      Robots are not suited for creativity or innovation

○      Robots are not capable of independent thinking

○      Robots are not good at learning from their mistakes

○      Robots are not as suitable for making complicated decisions

○      Robots can't as readily adapt quickly to changes in the surroundings

Human beings are needed for these types of tasks, so there is hope that we will not become superfluous in a world dominated by robots at some point in the future, as projected by some science fiction authors!