| A robot is a autonomous device which performs | | | | reluctant to refer to the highly complex modern |
| automated tasks, either according to direct human | | | | washer-dryer as a robot. However, in modern |
| control, partial control with human supervision, or | | | | understanding, the term implies a degree of |
| completely autonomously. Robots are typically used to | | | | independence that would exclude many automatic |
| do tasks that are too dull, dirty, or dangerous for | | | | machine tools from being called robots. It is the search |
| humans. Industrial robots used in manufacturing lines | | | | for ever more highly autonomous robots which is the |
| used to be the most common form of robots, but that | | | | major focus of robotics research and which drives |
| has recently been replaced by consumer robots | | | | much work in artificial intelligence. |
| cleaning floors and mowing lawns. Other applications | | | | Though we tend to think of robots as extremely |
| include toxic waste cleanup, underwater and space | | | | complicated, thanks typically to their anthropomorphic |
| exploration, surgery, mining, search and rescue, and | | | | physical design and our excess of indoctrination to the |
| mine finding. Robots are also finding their way into | | | | "Danger, Will Robinson!" robots of 1960s television, the |
| entertainment and home health care. | | | | fundamental elements are very simple. Motion is |
| Overview | | | | achieved by motors controlled by digital circuits that |
| The word robot comes from the Czech word robota | | | | incorporate a key power semiconductor switching |
| meaning "drudgery", "servitude", or "forced labor". A | | | | element called a thyristor or silicon-controlled rectifier |
| robot can be defined as a man-made entity with an | | | | (SCR). The robot turns when only one of two parallel |
| intelligent connection between perception and action. A | | | | motors is actuated: for example, stopping the left |
| robot may include a feedback-driven connection | | | | motor while running the right motor causes the dummy |
| between sense and action, not under direct human | | | | to turn left. Digital signals fed to the motor control |
| control. The action may take the form of | | | | circuitry determine which motors move at which times. |
| electro-magnetic motors or effectors that move an | | | | The problem can range from very simple (e.g., turning |
| arm, open and close grippers, or propel the robot. Two | | | | left or right) to very complex (e.g., controlling an elbow |
| basic ways of using effectors are to move the robot | | | | and wrist to move an item from a conveyor belt to a |
| around or to move other objects around. This | | | | shelf). The signals can be sent by an outside element |
| distinction divides robotics into two mostly separate | | | | (e.g., a human operator) or by internal circuitry that |
| categories: mobile robotics and manipulator robotics. | | | | makes "decisions" based upon observations of the |
| The step by step control and feedback is provided by | | | | robot's environment and may alter these decisions |
| a computer program run on either an external or | | | | based upon whether the motion is proceeding |
| embedded computer or a microcontroller. | | | | acceptably (see feedback). |
| Alternately, robot has been used as the general term | | | | Underlying simplicities not withstanding, combinations of |
| for a mechanical man, or an automaton resembling an | | | | various computer systems and electromechanical |
| animal, either real or imaginary. It has come to be | | | | subsystems can produce the appearance of profound |
| applied to many machines which directly replace a | | | | sophistication, e.g., a "chess-playing robot" that really |
| human or animal in work or play. In this way, a robot | | | | should be viewed as two discreet systems |
| can be seen as a form of biomimicry. | | | | Chess-playing software that has nothing to do with |
| Anthropomorphism is perhaps what makes us | | | | robotics; A Robot that interacts with the chess board. |