Anil Kondla
Last Updated on June 21, 2024 by Team Experts
The romanticization of machines can sometimes hide the fundamental truth of robotics: a robot is a device that assists people in performing tasks.
Robots are like tools. A saw has no choice like a carpenter uses it, just as there is no choice or thinking associated with a robot’s actions. It is simply handled by the human hand through the coding for which it was programmed.
Robotics researchers are finding new ways in which robots can be used to complement or replace human activity. It’s an incredibly diverse area where all kinds of cars are made with as many practical uses as the stars in the sky.
What is the purpose of robotics?
Robotics is a technical subdomain dedicated to the research, development and operation of robots. Robotic engineers study how a built physical system can complete or perform a task or interface with a new technology.
What are the main components of a robot?
Robots come in all shapes and sizes and require different parts to build. These are the three general categories of robotics:
Computation
While saying that a robot has a “brain” does not affect what we have in our own minds, they do have a central processing unit called a controller that determines the actions they take in a given situation . These controls can be programmed to do tasks as simple as turning a screw or as complex as emulating human graces and social expressions.
Movement
As autonomous units, robots require special mechanical parts so that they can move freely without direct physical intervention from their human operators. These parts include things like the wheels that make them move and the motors that drive them. Other components like the flu allow them to interact directly and purposefully with the world around them.
Sensors
With sensors, robots can recognize their surroundings. They give them the ability to determine things like the size and shape of an object or to record heat, cold or other properties. With these functions, processors can collect data about the environment and then move it accordingly.
Types of robots
Mechanical robots come in all shapes and sizes to effectively perform the task for which they were designed. From the 0.2 millimeter “RoboBee” to the 200 meter long robotic transport ship “Vindskip”, robots seem to perform tasks that humans simply cannot do. In general there are five types of robots:
Pre-programmed robots
Pre-programmed robots work in a controlled environment in which they perform simple and monotonous tasks. An example of a preprogrammed robot would be a mechanical arm on a vehicle assembly line. The arm has the function of welding a door, inserting a certain part into the engine, etc., and the job is to do this job faster, more efficiently and more efficiently than a human.
Humanoid robots
Humanoid robots are robots that display and / or mimic human behavior. These robots usually perform human-like activities (like running, jumping, and transporting objects) and are sometimes designed to look like us, even with human faces and facial expressions. Two of the most famous examples of humanoid robots are Sophia from Hanson Robotics (in the video above) and the Boston Dynamics Atlas.
Autonomous robots
Autonomous robots work independently of human operators. These robots are typically designed to perform tasks in open environments that do not require human supervision. An example of an autonomous robot would be the Roomba vacuum cleaner, which uses sensors to freely navigate a house.
Teleoperated robots
Teleoperated robots are human-controlled mechanical robots. These robots typically operate in extreme geographic conditions, weather conditions, circumstances, etc. Examples of teleoperated robots include human-operated submarines used to fix underwater pipeline leaks during the BP oil spill, or drones used to fix landmines on a battlefield to be discovered.
Augmenting Robots
Magnifying robots either improve current human skills or replace skills that a human has lost. Some examples of magnifying robots are robotic prostheses or exoskeletons that are used to lift heavy weights.
Also read about: IoT devices (Internet of Things devices)
