What is a robot?

A system that contains sensors, control systems, manipulators, power supplies and software all working together to perform a task. Robots are any machine that does work on its own, automatically.

 

What is robotics?  Designing, building, programming and testing robots.

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History- Science-fiction author Isaac Asimov is often given credit for being the first person to use the term robotics in a short story composed in the 1940s. In the story, Asimov suggested three principles to guide the behavior of robots and smart machines. Asimov's Three 

 

Laws of Robotics, as they are called, have survived to the present:

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1. Robots must never harm human beings.
2. Robots must follow instructions from humans without violating rule 1.
3. Robots must protect themselves without

    violating the other rules.

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A robot has these essential characteristics:

 

Sensing

First of all, your robot has to be able to sense its surroundings. It does this in some of the same ways we sense our surroundings!

You robot sensors are light sensors (eyes), touch and pressure sensors (hands), chemical sensors (nose), hearing and sonar sensors (ears), and taste sensors (tongue.) These sensors give your robot awareness of its environment.
 

Movement

A robot needs to be able to move around it's environment. Whether rolling on wheels, walking on legs or propelling by thrusters, a robot needs to be able to move. To count as a robot either the whole robot moves  or just parts of the robot moves.
 

Energy

A robot needs power. A robot might be solar powered, electrically powered or battery powered. The way your robot gets its energy will depend on what your robot needs to do.
 

Intelligence

A robot needs some kind of "smarts." This is where programming/coding enters the picture. A programmer is a person who gives the robot its 'smarts.' The robot will have to have some way to receive the program so that it knows what it is to do. This is usually software on the computer you use to program your robot.

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• What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? - The ability of a computer or other machine to perform those activities that are normally thought to require intelligence. It is also referred to as the branch of computer science concerned with the development of machines having this ability.

 

Robots in Industry:

• Robots are ideal for doing precise, repetitive or dangerous tasks. Around 90% of robots are used in factories with half of these being used in the automobile industry.

 

Robots and robotic arms are frequently used for:

• Car manufacturing

• Military - Bomb disposal, weapons, army surveillance

• Medical - Surgery, X-Rays, life support

• Space - Shuttles, International Space Station, mars rovers

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