Robotics; Explaination

Robotics

Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering and science that includes mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and others. Robotics deals with the design, construction, operation, and use of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing.

                                    These technologies are used to develop machines that can substitute for humans. Robots can be used in any situation and for any purpose, but today many are used in dangerous environments (including bomb detection and de-activation), manufacturing processes, or where humans cannot survive. Robots can take on any form but some are made to resemble humans in appearance. This is said to help in the acceptance of a robot in certain replicative behaviors usually performed by people. Such robots attempt to replicate walking, lifting, speech, cognition, and basically anything a human can do. Many of today's robots are inspired by nature, contributing to the field of bio-inspired robotics.

                 The concept of creating machines that can operate autonomously dates back to classical times, but research into the functionality and potential uses of robots did not grow substantially until the 20th century. Throughout history, it has been frequently assumed that robots will one day be able to mimic human behavior and manage tasks in a human-like fashion.

Three Laws of Robotics  

The Three Laws of Robotics (often shortened to The Three Laws or known as Asimov's Laws) are a set of rules devised by the science fiction author Isaac Asimov. The rules were introduced in his 1942 short story "Runaround" (included in the 1950 collection I, Robot), although they had been foreshadowed in a few earlier stories. The Three Laws, quoted as being from the "Handbook of Robotics, 56th Edition, 2058 A.D.", are:

1.     A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2.     A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3.     A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Applications of robotics

As more and more robots are designed for specific tasks this method of classification becomes more relevant. For example, many robots are designed for assembly work, which may not be readily adaptable for other applications. They are termed as "assembly robots". For seam welding, some suppliers provide complete welding systems with the robot i.e. the welding equipment along with other material handling facilities like turntables etc. as an integrated unit. Such an integrated robotic system is called a "welding robot" even though its discrete manipulator unit could be adapted to a variety of tasks. Some robots are specifically designed for heavy load manipulation, and are labelled as "heavy duty robots".

Current and potential applications include:

·         Military robots

·         Caterpillar plans to develop remote controlled machines and expects to develop fully autonomous heavy robots by 2021. Some cranes already are remote controlled.

·         It was demonstrated that a robot can perform a herding task.

·         Robots are increasingly used in manufacturing (since the 1960s). In the auto industry, they can amount for more than half of the "labor". There are even "lights off" factories such as an IBM keyboard manufacturing factory in Texas that is 100% automated.

·         Robots such as HOSPI are used as couriers in hospitals (hospital robot). Other hospital tasks performed by robots are receptionists, guides and porters helpers.

·         Robots can serve as waiters and cooks, also at home. Boris is a robot that can load a dishwasher. Rotimatic is a robotics kitchen appliance that cooks flatbreadsautomatically.

·         Robot combat for sport – hobby or sport event where two or more robots fight in an arena to disable each other. This has developed from a hobby in the 1990s to several TV series worldwide.

·         Cleanup of contaminated areas, such as toxic waste or nuclear facilities.

·         Agricultural robots (AgRobots).

·         Domestic robots, cleaning and caring for the elderly

·         Medical robots performing low-invasive surgery

·         Household robots with full use.

·         Nanorobots

·         Swarm robotics

Robotics Technologies

Professionals in robotics technologies blend computer science with electrical and mechanical engineering to create automated, intelligent machines. If you're interested in this field, read on to learn how to turn your interest into expertise and begin a career in robotics technologies.

Inside Robotics Technologies

Robotics technologies consist of all processes necessary to design, build and maintain robots and other intelligent machines. Robots are sophisticated, intelligent systems used to assist pilots and maneuver spacecraft without direct human intervention. They're also the commonplace automated systems that fill our factories and everyday lives.

                                    Because of this diversity of robotics applications, professionals in the field work in a wide variety of industries, from defense and aerospace to manufacturing and design. Within these industries, there are two main roles for personnel with training in robotics technologies. Robotics workers can be divided into robotics engineers and robotics technicians. Robotics engineers are responsible for developing new robotics systems and upgrading the old ones to meet contemporary demands. Technicians, on the other hand, maintain and repair already-existing robotics technology.

                         Robotics technology is a multifarious field with many different opportunities for education and employment. The articles at Study.com have the information you need to choose the path in robotics technologies that's right for you.

Education Information

Robotics engineers must have bachelor's degrees in an applicable field and state licensure to qualify for entry-level employment. According to The Princeton Review, advancement to more competitive jobs in robotics design and research usually entails a graduate degree (www.princetonreview.com). The review also notes that robotics engineers with backgrounds in both engineering and computer sciences may see greater advancement opportunities.

                                       Compared to engineers, the education requirements for robotics engineers are less stringent. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a robotics technician associate's degree is typically sufficient for employment as a technician (www.bls.gov). Further postsecondary education, such as a 4-year degree in robotics technology, may open possibilities for a career as an applied engineer or technologist.

                Some universities offer degrees specifically in robotics technologies, but a degree in computer science or mechanical or electrical engineering can be just as attractive to employers. Here are a few links to start you on your education search.

• Robotics Degrees by Level
• Computer Science Bachelor's Degree
• Computer Science Graduate Degrees
• Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree
• Electrical Engineering Bachelor's Degree

Distance Learning Options

Since so much of robotics is hands-on work, most distance learning degree programs in the field require some on-campus instruction. There's a variety of online degrees to choose from, and these articles will help you explore your options.

• Choosing an Online Robotics Program
• Online Robotics Certificate
• Online Robotics Degree
• Online Robotics Courses

Career Options

As discussed above, there are opportunities for employment as both a technician and engineer within the field of robotics. Below are links to articles that delve further into these careers.

• Robotics Career Overview
• Robotics Technician
• Robotics Technologist
• Robotics Engineer

Employment Information

In May 2013, the BLS reported that electro-mechanical technicians (the group in which robotics technicians fall) made an average annual wage of $$54,160. Employment of these techs is expected to increase four percent between 2012 and 2022, which is slower than average. During the same decade, the BLS projects that employment of electrical and electronics engineers will also grow at the same rate.

Robots 

Rodney Brooks and his team at MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab are working on creating such humanoid robots.

       The type of robots that you will encounter most frequently are robots that do work that is too dangerous, boring, onerous, or just plain nasty. Most of the robots in the world are of this type. They can be found in auto, medical, manufacturing and space industries. Some robots like the Mars Rover Sojourner and the upcoming Mars Exploration Rover, or the underwater robot Caribou help us learn about places that are too dangerous for us to go. While other types of robots are just plain fun for kids of all ages. Popular toys such as Teckno, Polly or AIBO ERS-220 seem to hit the store shelves every year around Christmas time.

But what exactly is a robot?

As strange as it might seem, there really is no standard definition for a robot. However, there are some essential characteristics that a robot must have and this might help you to decide what is and what is not a robot. It will also help you to decide what features you will need to build into a machine before it can count as a robot.

A robot has these essential characteristics:

• Sensing First of all your robot would have to be able to sense its surroundings. It would do this in ways that are not unsimilar to the way that you sense your surroundings. Giving your robot sensors: light sensors (eyes), touch and pressure sensors (hands), chemical sensors (nose), hearing and sonar sensors (ears), and taste sensors (tongue) will give your robot awareness of its environment.
• Movement A robot needs to be able to move around its 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, like the Sojourner or just parts of the robot moves, like the Canada Arm.
• Energy A robot needs to be able to power itself. A robot might be solar powered, electrically powered, 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 enters the pictures. A programmer is the 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.

So what is a robot?

Well it is a system that contains sensors, control systems, manipulators, power supplies and software all working together to perform a task. Designing, building, programming and testing a robots is a combination of physics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, structural engineering, mathematics and computing. In some cases biology, medicine, chemistry might also be involved. A study of robotics means that students are actively engaged with all of these disciplines in a deeply problem-posing problem-solving environment.

Types of robots

There are six main types of industrial robots: cartesian, SCARA, cylindrical, delta, polar and vertically articulated. However, there are several additional types of robot configurations. Each of these types offers a different joint configuration.

Common Types of Industrial Robots:

Articulated - This robot design features rotary joints and can range from simple two joint structures to 10 or more joints. The arm is connected to the base with a twisting joint. The links in the arm are connected by rotary joints. Each joint is called an axis and provides an additional degree of freedom, or range of motion. Industrial robots commonly have four or six axes.

Cartesian - These are also called rectilinear or gantry robots. Cartesian robots have three linear joints that use the Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, and Z). They also may have an attached wrist to allow for rotational movement. The three prismatic joints deliver a linear motion along the axis.

Cylindrical - The robot has at least one rotary joint at the base and at least one prismatic joint to connect the links. The rotary joint uses a rotational motion along the joint axis, while the prismatic joint moves in a linear motion. Cylindrical robots operate within a cylindrical-shaped work envelope.

Polar - Also called spherical robots, in this configuration the arm is connected to the base with a twisting joint and a combination of two rotary joints and one linear joint.  The axes form a polar coordinate system and create a spherical-shaped work envelope.

SCARA - Commonly used in assembly applications, this selectively compliant arm for robotic assembly is primarily cylindrical in design. It features two parallel joints that provide compliance in one selected plane.

Delta - These spider-like robots are built from jointed parallelograms connected to a common base. The parallelograms move a single EOAT in a dome-shaped work area. Heavily used in the food, pharmaceutical, and electronic industries, this robot configuration is capable of delicate, precise movement.

    Typical industrial robots are articulated and feature six axes of motion (6 degrees of freedom). This design allows maximum flexibility. Six-axis robots are ideal for:

- Arc Welding
- Spot Welding
- Material Handling
- Machine Tending
- Other Applications