ROBOTICS

What Is Robotics?

Robotics is the intersection of science, engineering and technology that produces machines, called robots, that replicate or substitute for human actions. Pop culture has always been fascinated with robots — examples include R2-D2, the Terminator and WALL-E. These over-exaggerated, humanoid concepts of robots usually seem like a caricature of the real thing. But are they more forward thinking than we realize? Robots are gaining intellectual and mechanical capabilities that don’t put the possibility of a R2-D2-like machine out of reach in the future.

WHAT IS A ROBOT?

A robot is a programmable machine that can complete a task, while the term robotics describes the field of study focused on developing robots and automation. Each robot has a different level of autonomy. These levels range from human-controlled bots that carry out tasks to fully-autonomous bots that perform tasks without any external influences.

As technology progresses, so too does the scope of what is considered robotics. In 2005, 90 percent of all robots could be found assembling cars in automotive factories. These robots consist mainly of mechanical arms tasked with welding or screwing on certain parts of a car. 

Today, we’re seeing an evolved and expanded definition of robotics that includes the development, creation and use of bots that accomplish tasks like exploring the planet’s harshest conditions, assisting law enforcement,  streamlining surgical procedures and undertaking rescue missions.

 

Robotics Defined

While the overall world of robotics is expanding, a robot has some consistent characteristics:

1. Robots consist of some sort of mechanical construction. The mechanical aspect of a robot helps it complete tasks in the environment for which it’s designed. For example, the Mars 2020 Rover’s wheels are individually motorized and made of titanium tubing that help it firmly grip the harsh terrain of the red planet.
2. Robots need electrical components that control and power the machinery. Essentially, an electric current — a battery, for example — is needed to power a large majority of robots.
3. Robots contain at least some level of computer programming. Without a set of code telling it what to do, a robot would just be another piece of simple machinery. Inserting a program into a robot gives it the ability to know when and how to carry out a task.

We’re bound to see the promise of the robotics industry sooner, rather than later, as artificial intelligence and software also continue to progress. In the near future, thanks to advances in these technologies, robots will continue getting smarter, more flexible and more energy efficient. They’ll also continue to be a main focal point in smart factories, where they’ll take on more difficult challenges and help to secure global supply chains.

The robotics industry is filled with an admirable promise of progress that science fiction could once only dream about. From the deepest depths of our oceans to thousands of miles in outer space, robots will be found performing tasks that humans couldn’t dream of achieving alone.

 

Robot Etymology

The word robot is derived from the Czech word robota, which means “forced labor.” The word first appeared in the 1920 play R.U.R., in reference to the play’s characters who were mass-produced workers incapable of creative thinking.