Stay Ahead Of The Curve With Robotics

Have you ever thought about what Richie Rich would look like without Irona? We know what you are thinking; if not for Irona, then who would have saved Richie by transforming into literally anything when Richie was in danger? Irona was not an ordinary maid; she was a robot who could go to any extent, including transforming into an airplane (no kidding!) for Richie. Irona made us all yearn for a robot maid, yet in this era, this is not a far-fetched reality all thanks to Robotics –trust us, it is growing by leaps and bounds!

Robotics is reshaping every industry, including the manufacturing and customer service industries. It delivers measurable benefits and cost savings while increasing productivity and efficiency. That’s what we all need, right? That’s why every industry is switching to Robotics at an unprecedented rate. A simple strategy of Robotics is to automate simple and hazardous tasks that might be challenging for humans. #RoboticsForTheFuture

However, do you know what Robotics is, how precisely it works, its history or its future? Worry not, we are here to help you understand all this. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
 

First Things First – What Is Robotics?

Imagine you are in the 29^th century where our beloved planet Earth has no signs of life (other than you) on it; quite sad, right? You are the only one left on Earth, wearing an oxygen mask to counter the poisonous gases, while the others have already left for space in a futuristic spaceship. How long will you be able to survive? We all know the answer! However, WALL-E survived such a life-threatening situation as he was a robot who was made to resist the almost impossible environment. That’s not a stretch as we already have robots working on the Moon and Mars, who can withstand the harshest of conditions.

Yet, did you know that Robotics is more than a branch of engineering that deals with robots? You read it right! The field aims to design, improve and produce intelligent robots that can assist humans in various ways. In order to accomplish this goal, robots must be capable of a wide variety of tasks. To your surprise, a robot may resemble a human, or be in the form of an application such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) which copies how humans interact with software to perform mundane tasks.

The fact is that Robotics has various potential uses and functionalities, which have grown immensely in the 21^st century. We mean, the idea of automation is not a new one! Do you want to know when it all started?
 

History Of Robotics

It all started in 1920 when Czech writer Karel Čapek used the word "robot” in his play, Rossum's Universal Robots, to refer to a robotic servant. This was a time when people were unaware of shows such as Richie Rich and the Jetsons, for obvious reasons!

Did you know the term “Robotics” comes from the extension of the root word “robot”? #WhatsInAName

Moving forward, the science fiction author Isaac Asimov used the term Robotics in Oxford Dictionary for the first time in the 1940s. Things remained the same until 1954, when the first programmable robot, UNIMATE, was designed by George Devol, who coined the term Universal Automation. Later in 1962, he shortened the term to Unimation, which became the name of the first robot company.

A decade and a half later, in 1978, Unimation developed a robot named PUMA – Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly – with the support of General Motors (GM) designs. After two years of this milestone, the Robotics industry entered a new phase of growth with many institutions across the globe introducing programs and courses in Robotics. Within months, these courses gained popularity among mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science students. This trend has not faded even today as these fields form the core of Robotics.

Soon, emerging Robotics applications started strengthening technology and started driving the growth of several start-ups, industries and researchers.

After knowing where Robotics came from, it’s time to learn how it actually works. #TheWaitIsOver
 

Here's How Robotics Works!

Here’s a quick question for you – what is the similarity between Wall-E, Irona, Rosey or any of your favorite robot characters for that matter (apart from all being robots, duh!)? We bet you cannot find one! Robotics is a branch that specializes in creating various robots for diverse tasks. However, every robot has four main components that aid in its working.
 

• Power Supply

  Battery, hydraulic, solar, or pneumatic – power sources provide the robot with the power to function. #TheyTooNeedEnergyToWork

• Actuators

  Actuators are energy conversion device that converts energy from the power source into movement. They can be electric motors, servos or other mechanisms that help the robot move.

• Sensors

  Since robots need real-time information about various aspects of their job environment, sensors are needed. Robots may have tactile sensors, vision sensors, heat sensors, etc. that can help them calculate various metrics within the working environment.

• Controllers

  This controls the motion of all the mechanical systems by taking inputs through the various sensors (remember the above point?). This is basically the brains of the robot! A microprocessor receives the input and provides the relevant output by controlling the actuators upon receipt of a command. The same happens in software robots, although the entire operation is handled digitally.

Now that you are crystal clear about the working of Robotics, let’s move ahead to learn about its types.
 

What Are The Types Of Robots?

It is always a one-of-its-kind experience when we see our favorite robot characters onscreen. Whether Wall-E, who was the only hope for a better future or Vici, the humanoid from the show Small Wonder – every robot is different. Do you know that there are certain types of Robotics under which various robots can be categorized? Well, let’s explore them!
 

• Pre-Programmed Robots

  Pre-programmed robots carry out routine duties in a controlled setting. A mechanical arm in an auto assembly line would be an illustration of a pre-programmed robot.

• Humanoid Robots

   

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  Robots that mirror human behavior or appear like humans are known as humanoid robots. (Remember Vici?) These robots frequently carry out actions associated with humans (such as running or carrying goods) and are created to resemble us; sometimes even having human features and expressions.

• Autonomous Robots

  Autonomous robots work without human supervision. These robots are typically made to complete duties in public spaces without human supervision. They are highly distinctive in that they employ decision-making systems to choose the best action plan based on their sensor data and tasks. They need sensors to perceive the world around them and perform jobs autonomously.

• Teleoperated Robot

  
  

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  Semi-autonomous robots that humans can control from a safe distance are known as teleoperated robots. Typically, these robots that operate under harsh environmental conditions, weather and terrain are categorized in this type. Submersibles are perfect examples of teleoperated robots.

• Augmenting Robots

  Virtual Reality (VR) robots, often known as augmenting robots, can supplement or replace lost human talents. Robotic exoskeletons or prosthetic limbs are examples of modern augmenting robots that can help in tasks such as lifting heavy objects.

After knowing its types, let’s head on to the next section to know the many benefits of Robotics!
 

What Are The Benefits Of Robotics?

On to the good stuff! Here are some of the main benefits that Robotics offers us:
 

• Increased Production

  You just cannot match the productivity offered by Robotics. Robots are designed to perform dedicated tasks and continue doing them until they break down or are turned off which definitely humans can’t do.

• Improved Quality

  Robotics can offer incredible accuracy! You can calibrate your systems with high precision and will never have a chance to complain about human errors. #WorkWithPerfection

• Heightened Efficiency

  Robotics enhance the efficiency of any task as it takes care of the menial and repetitive aspects. Hence, workers can focus on more challenging and productive tasks.

• Enhanced Consistency 

  Consistency is the key! This proverb goes well with Robotics as robots are designed to perform at 100% consistency, while humans tend to make some mistakes especially while performing repetitive tasks.

So far, we have seen the present and the past of Robotics; are you excited to learn about its future? Let’s learn!
 

Tell Us About The Future Of Robotics!

Don’t you agree that there was a time when we secretly wished to automate all our tasks? This dream of ours is not too far-fetched as Robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) have joined forces to give smart, connected and autonomous bots. While the Robotics community concentrates on action, interaction and autonomous behavior in the workplace, the Internet of Things (IoT) focuses on pervasive and real-time sensing, monitoring and tracking.

The future of Robotics will also stem from combining robots with access to more data for analysis and decision-making. By using Artificial Intelligence (AI), these decisions will become more accurate as well. The cherry on the cake is that with Cobots, it will be possible for people and machines to work together closely in workplaces. They offer numerous advantages such as reduced operational costs, safety, increased efficiency, decreased workplace hazards and increased productivity while augmenting humans in their tasks. We expect that in the near future, many manufacturers will switch to Cobots because of their high performance, better precision than humans and enhanced Return On Investment (ROI) for operations.
 

It’s A Wrap

Watching robot characters ruling the screens, one thing is for sure - the march of Robotics is unstoppable. Quite where they're marching to, no one yet knows. Every aspect of our life now includes Robotics technology, from manufacturing to healthcare; from public to private service sectors. It is finding adoption in emerging fields such as environmental clean-up, space exploration and underwater research. Therefore, it is crucial to be aware of this incredible branch of engineering. Hope our article has served its purpose!