| What are Robots? | | | | C3PO or the Terminator, but right now, in just about |
| In general, a robot is a programmable contraption, a | | | | every manufacturing plant, laboratory or military |
| machine that mimics the actions, thinking and even | | | | installation around the world, robots are working. They |
| appearance of a human. And it is generally agreed | | | | are assembling and spray-painting cars at Toyota and |
| that to qualify being called a robot, the contraption | | | | BMW automotive factories. They are walking and |
| must do two things: | | | | exploring live and potentially active volcanoes, diffusing |
| 1) Get and process data from its surroundings, | | | | bombs in the Middle East, and assisting surgeons in |
| 2) Perform some labor-intensive task–such as | | | | hospitals. |
| move objects around at the very least. | | | | Historical narratives and anecdotes have ancient poet |
| The word robot is rooted in the Czech word robota. It | | | | Homer describe maidens and metallic helpers for the |
| connotes drudgery or slave-like labor. It found its first | | | | Greek god of forge, Hephaistos. Medieval Jewish |
| language exposure in the 1920 play was first used to | | | | legends have Golems made of clay that had robot-like |
| describe fabricated workers in a fictional 1920s play by | | | | traits. And in the15th century, Leonardo da Vinci had |
| Rossum’s Universal Robots by Czech playwright | | | | drawings and plans for a mechanical man. |
| Karel Capek. | | | | But it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that real |
| In the play, a scientist invents robots for home use, | | | | robots started appearing, first as research prototypes |
| helping families to perform routine tasks. But once the | | | | and getting more pervasive application in the industrial |
| robots are deployed to fight wars, they turn against | | | | areas. The advent of cheap mass produced |
| their human masters and rule the world. This sounds | | | | consumer goods have made robots, however, |
| like a common theme in many fictional movies over | | | | primitive, a mainstay in manufacturing plants. |
| the last decade. | | | | The automobile industry is home to the robotic |
| The Movies | | | | pioneers that have made possible the cars we have |
| There have been fictional movies with robots in the | | | | today. Then came developments in robots that |
| storyline starting back since the early days of | | | | allowed them specific functions like diffusing bombs or |
| Hollywood. Over the last 40 years, there’s the | | | | exploring dangerous war torn areas for mine fields, to |
| highly destructive cyborg, half human and half robots | | | | mention some. |
| made famous with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s | | | | As technology makes more capable thinking |
| Terminator series. But the most famous of these are | | | | computers, smarter chips, more miniaturized actuators |
| R2D2 and C3PO in the Star Wars movie saga. It was | | | | and motors, robots are increasingly making their |
| also about this time when serious research and | | | | appearance in the lives of 21st century man. Scientists |
| development into robotic technology have started. | | | | and engineers are working to improve the robots we |
| They wouldn’t gain much headway though until | | | | have in our factories. There are already robotic |
| computers and software programs reached maturity | | | | appliances for the home using Artificial Intelligences |
| in the last mid 90s. | | | | called "fuzzy logic" features. The real challenge is to |
| Real Robots | | | | make them move and "think" with more human-like |
| Robots are not just for the movies or science fiction. | | | | qualities but having the speed and precision of |
| They are getting real. Perhaps not as sophisticated as | | | | computers. |