Robot

A robot is a machine, especially one programmable via a computer, capable of automatically carrying out a complex series of actions. Robots can look like humans, but most are built to do specific jobs better than people can. They may work completely on their own or need some guidance.

Robots come in many forms, from human-like machines such as Honda's Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility (ASIMO) to machines used in factories, hospitals, and even as small drones in the sky. Some robots are tiny, like nanorobots, and others work together in groups called swarm robots. These machines can seem smart because they can move and make decisions on their own.

The study of robots and how to make and control them is called robotics. This field began thousands of years ago with simple machines made for fun and has grown with new technology. Today, robots help people by doing jobs that are dangerous, far away, or need to be done very accurately. However, there are also worries about how robots might change work and society in the future.

Etymology

The word robot originated from the Czech language in 1923. It was created by the Czech writer Karel Capek for his play called "R.U.R." The term comes from the Czech word robotnik, meaning 'forced worker'. This word itself comes from an older term, robota, which refers to hard or compulsory work. The idea behind the word connects to ancient languages and concepts of service and labor.

Summary

Robots are machines that can be programmed to do tasks automatically. They can follow instructions, sense their surroundings, move, and sometimes even mimic human or animal behavior. Robots can be physical machines or virtual programs, though the virtual ones are usually called bots.

Simple machines that look like humans or animals are called automatons or animatronics. Robots that look very much like humans are called androids, sometimes shortened to "droids." When humans are enhanced with artificial machines, they are called cyborgs.

History

Main article: History of robots

Ancient cultures often wrote about artificial people. For example, stories from Greek mythology include Galatea, a statue that came to life, and Talos, a bronze guardian of Crete. During classical antiquity, Greek engineers created early machines. Hero of Alexandria made devices that could automatically perform tasks, using steam, water, and air power.

Later, other cultures also created moving machines. In China, a water clock built by Su Song in 1066 had figures that rang bells on the hour. In the 13th century, Ismail al-Jazari in Mesopotamia built automated fountains and a servant robot that could serve drinks. In the 1700s, Jacques de Vaucanson in France made a mechanical duck that could flap its wings and "eat" food.

In the 20th century, scientists built the first robots. In 1928, a robot named Eric spoke and moved in London. In 1939, another robot called Elektro appeared at a fair in New York, able to walk, talk, and blow up balloons. Later, scientists created robots that could think for themselves, leading to today's robots used in factories, space, and many other places.

Future development and trends

Scientists are finding new ways to make robots smarter and more useful. One way is called evolutionary robotics, where robots are tested, and the best ones are used to create even better robots. Another method is developmental robotics, which focuses on how a single robot can learn and improve over time. Recently, a robot named RoboHon was created that can also work like a smartphone.

As robots get more advanced, they might one day run on special computer systems made just for them. One example is the Robot Operating System (ROS), an open-source software project led by Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Technical University of Munich, Germany. ROS helps robots move and perform tasks like recognizing images. Some companies are also working on their own robot operating systems.

In the future, robots could help with many jobs, like cleaning, painting cars, packing boxes, and even cooking. However, these predictions often happen later than expected.

New functionalities and prototypes

In 2008, Caterpillar Inc. made a dump truck that could drive itself without a driver. By 2015, these trucks were used in mines in Australia by Rio Tinto Coal Australia. Some experts think that most trucks will be self-driving in the future.

A robot named Marge can read newspapers, learn about banks, and decide which restaurants are better.

In 2012, a robot named Baxter was introduced. People could teach Baxter new tasks by guiding its movements with their hands. Baxter could learn quickly and perform many different jobs without needing special computer programming. A smaller robot named Sawyer was added in 2015 for more detailed work.

Scientists have also created early versions of cooking robots that could one day prepare meals on their own.

Etymology

See also: Glossary of robotics

The word robot was first used by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in his 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots). In the story, robots are creatures made to work in a factory. Though they look like humans, they lack feelings and cannot think for themselves.

Karel Čapek did not create the word robot himself. He credited his brother, Josef Čapek, as the true inventor of the term. The word comes from the Czech word robota, meaning "work" or "labor." Over time, the way people say robot in English has changed, but it always refers to a machine that can do tasks on its own.

The term robotics was later created by the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. He imagined a set of rules, called the Three Laws of Robotics, to guide how robots should behave. Though these laws are just part of his stories, they have become famous and are often discussed when people talk about robot behavior.

Modern robots

Main articles: Mobile robot and Automated guided vehicle

Main articles: Industrial robot and Manipulator (device)

Main article: Service robot

Main article: Educational robotics

Main article: Self-reconfiguring modular robot

Robots come in many forms, each designed for different tasks. Mobile robots can move around their environment, like the automated guided vehicles used in factories. These robots follow markers or use sensors to navigate. They are also used in homes for cleaning and in industries for various tasks.

Industrial robots are usually fixed arms attached to a surface, used for tasks like packaging and assembling products. Service robots help with tasks that support people's daily lives, but they are not used for making products. Educational robots are tools that help teach students about science, math, and programming through hands-on activities and competitions. Modular robots are made from interchangeable parts that can be rearranged to perform different jobs, making them very flexible. Collaborative robots, or cobots, work alongside humans in factories, performing simple tasks safely by stopping if a person gets too close.

Robots in society

Roughly half of all robots are in Asia, with 32% in Europe and 16% in North America. Japan has the most robots of any country.

As robots become more advanced, people have started to think about how they should behave and if they should have rights. Some worry that robots might one day become smarter than humans, a point called "the Singularity." There are also concerns about using robots in the military and whether they could make their own decisions in battles. Some robots can find their own power sources or even choose targets to attack.

Robots in factories have also caused some worry that they might take jobs away from people. Some companies are already using more robots instead of workers, which has led to discussions about new laws to help workers who lose their jobs.

Contemporary uses

See also: List of robots

There are two main types of robots based on their use: general-purpose autonomous robots and dedicated robots. Robots can be designed to perform one specific task very well or a range of tasks less well. They can be reprogrammed to behave differently, though some are limited by their physical form. For instance, a factory robot arm might cut, weld, or glue, while a pick-and-place robot is made only for placing parts on printed circuit boards.

General-purpose autonomous robots

Main article: Autonomous robot

General-purpose autonomous robots can do many tasks on their own. They can move around spaces, charge themselves, and interact with doors, elevators, and other objects. They can recognize people or items, talk, monitor the environment, and perform useful tasks like picking up supplies. Some of these robots look like humans, known as humanoid robots, but they are still limited in how they can move and explore new spaces.

Factory robots

Car production

Over the past few decades, automobile factories have relied heavily on robots. A typical factory has many industrial robots working on fully automated production lines, with one robot for every ten human workers. On these lines, a vehicle chassis moves along a conveyor, getting welded, glued, painted, and finally assembled by robots at different stations.

Packaging

Industrial robots are widely used for packing and organizing products. They can quickly take items like drink cartons from a conveyor belt and place them into boxes or load and unload machines.

Electronics

Most printed circuit boards (PCBs) are made by pick-and-place robots, usually with SCARA manipulators. These robots pick up tiny electronic components and place them on PCBs with great precision, working much faster and more reliably than humans.

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs)

Mobile robots that follow markers, wires, or use vision and lasers transport goods in places like warehouses, ports, or hospitals.

Dirty, dangerous, dull, or inaccessible tasks

See also: Dirty, dangerous and demeaning

Robots are often used for jobs that might be boring, dangerous, or hard to reach. Examples include domestic cleaning, marking sports fields, exploring inside a volcano, or examining other planets. They are also used in surgeries that need very precise movements.

Space probes

Nearly every unmanned space probe launched has been a robot, starting from the 1960s. These robots can fly through space and even land on other worlds, like the Voyager probes and the Galileo probes.

Telerobots

Teleoperated robots, or telerobots, are controlled by a human from a distance. They are used when it’s too dangerous, far away, or hard to reach for a person. These robots can perform tasks like surgery in tight spaces or defusing bombs.

Automated fruit harvesting machines

Robots are used to automate picking fruit in orchards, offering a cheaper alternative to human workers.

Domestic robots

Domestic robots are simple machines for home tasks like vacuum cleaning, floor washing, and lawn mowing. An example is the Roomba.

Military robots

Main article: Military robot

Military robots include ground-based combat robots and unmanned aircraft that can perform various missions, including combat. Some of these robots can make decisions on their own during missions.

Mining robots

Mining robots help solve problems in the mining industry, such as shortages of skilled workers and improving safety. They can drive trucks, operate drills, and move materials without needing a human operator.

Healthcare

Robots in healthcare help both individuals and overall systems. They can assist people with diseases or disabilities at home and help in pharmacies and hospitals.

Home automation for the elderly and disabled

Further information: Disability robot

Robots assist elderly or disabled people with daily tasks, like preparing meals. As populations age, robots are being introduced to help where human care is limited.

Pharmacies

Main article: Pharmacy automation

Robots in pharmacies help fill prescriptions quickly and accurately. They can store many medications and dispense them into labeled containers for patients.

Research robots

See also: Robotics research

Researchers are developing new types of robots in labs around the world. These robots explore different designs and ways to make them, aiming to solve real-world problems in the future.

Bionic and biomimetic robots

Further information: Biomimetics, Bionics

Some robots are designed based on animals. For example, BionicKangaroo mimics how kangaroos move.

Nanorobots

Further information: Nanorobotics

Nanorobotics involves creating very tiny robots, sometimes as small as molecules. These could perform tasks at a microscopic level, though they are still mostly in the research phase.

Reconfigurable robots

Main article: Self-reconfiguring modular robot

Some robots can change their shape to suit different tasks. Current examples are simple cubes that can move relative to each other, though they are not as advanced as science fiction suggests.

Robotic, mobile laboratory operators

Further information: Laboratory robotics

In 2020, scientists developed a mobile robot that can assist in experiments. This robot can operate instruments, work almost continuously, and decide its next actions based on results, freeing up human researchers for creative thinking.

Soft-bodied robots

Robots made from soft materials like silicone can bend and flex like animals. These are used in medicine, care giving, search and rescue, food handling, and scientific exploration.

Swarm robots

Main article: Swarm robotics

Inspired by animal groups like ants and bees, researchers study swarms of small robots working together. These swarms can perform tasks like searching or cleaning, with each robot being simple but working together as a complex system.

Robots in popular culture

See also: List of fictional robots and androids and Droid (Star Wars)

Literature

Robots, androids, and cyborgs are common in science fiction stories. One of the earliest examples appears in Homer’s Iliad, where the god Hephaestus creates mechanical servants to help him. The word “robot” was first used in Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R. in 1920. Isaac Asimov wrote many stories about robots and created the famous Three Laws of Robotics to guide how robots should behave around humans.

Robot competitions

Robots also appear in fun competitions. Shows like Robot Wars and BattleBots feature robots battling each other. Other contests, like the FIRST Robotics Competition, help students learn about robotics in a friendly, creative way.

Films

See also: Category:Films about robots

Many movies feature robots, with some of the most well-known being R2-D2 and C-3PO from the Star Wars films.

Problems depicted in popular culture

Fictional stories often explore what might happen if robots become too powerful or too human-like. Some worry that robots could one day try to take over, or that people might feel uncomfortable around robots that look almost human. Movies and books often use these ideas to create exciting stories and make us think about the future of technology.