| Robots are growing in complexity and their | | | | is finished it goes back to its charging |
| use in industry is becoming more widespread. | | | | station and waits for its next task. |
| The main use of robots has so far been in the | | | | |
| automation of mass production industries, | | | | Domestic robots are now available that |
| where the same, definable tasks must be | | | | perform simple tasks such as vacuum cleaning |
| performed repeatedly in exactly the same | | | | and grass cutting. By the end of 2004 over |
| fashion. Car production is the primary | | | | 1,000,000 vacuum cleaner units had been sold |
| example of the employment of large and | | | | [2]. Examples of these domestic robots are |
| complex robots for producing goods. Robots | | | | the Scooba and Roomba robots from iRobot |
| are used in that process for the painting, | | | | Corporation, Friendly Robotics' Robomower, |
| welding and assembly of the cars. Robots are | | | | and Electrolux's Automower. |
| good for such tasks because the tasks can be | | | | |
| accurately defined and must be performed the | | | | Other domestic robots have the aim of |
| same every time, with little need for | | | | providing companionship (social robots) or |
| feedback to control the exact process being | | | | play partners (ludobots) to people. Examples |
| performed. Industrial robots can be | | | | are Sony's Aibo, a commercially successful |
| manufactured in a wide range of sizes and so | | | | robot pet dog, Paro, a robot baby seal |
| can handle more tasks requiring heavy lifting | | | | intended to soothe nursing home patients, and |
| than a human could. | | | | Wakamaru, a humanoid robot intended for |
| | | | elderly and disabled people. Other humanoid |
| They are also useful in environments which | | | | robots are in development with the aim of |
| are unpleasant or dangerous for humans to | | | | being able to provide robotic functions in a |
| work in, for example bomb disposal, work in | | | | form that may be more aesthetically pleasing |
| space (eg. Canadarm2) or underwater, in | | | | to customers, thereby increasing the |
| mining, and for the cleaning of toxic waste. | | | | likelihood of them being accepted in society. |
| Robots are also used for patrolling these | | | | |
| toxic areas, robots equipped for this job are | | | | Robots perform in arts festivals and at |
| e.g. the Robowatch OFRO, and Robowatch MOSRO. | | | | museums with works such as James Seawright's |
| | | | House Plants, 1983, in which an artificial |
| Often this is referred to as the "Three D's: | | | | flower opens in response to viewer |
| Dull, Dirty and Dangerous" work. Hundreds of | | | | interaction or Ken Rinaldo's Autotelematic |
| bomb disposal robots such as the iRobot | | | | Spider Bots, 2006 [3] where robots that |
| Packbot and the Foster-Miller TALON are being | | | | appear like spiders, see like bats and act |
| used in Iraq and Afghanistan by the U.S. | | | | like ants interact with the public and |
| military to defuse roadside bombs, or | | | | structure each others behaviors through |
| improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in an | | | | bluetooth communication. One of the earliest |
| activity known as Explosive Ordinance | | | | electronic art robots is Jim Pallas' 1976 |
| Disposal (EOD). | | | | Blue Wazoo[4] which, using TTL IC devices, |
| | | | responds to sound and light with a repertoire |
| Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are movable | | | | of LED patterns, movements, inflations, |
| robots that are used in large facilities such | | | | deflations, whirs, clicks and jiggles. |
| as warehouses hospitals and container ports, | | | | |
| for the movement of goods, or even for safety | | | | For education in schools and high schools and |
| and security patrols. Such vehicles follow | | | | mechatronics training in companies robot kits |
| wires, markers or laser-guidance to navigate | | | | are becoming more and more popular. On the |
| around the location and can be programmed to | | | | schools side there exists kits from LEGO , |
| move between places to deliver goods or | | | | Parallax, Fischertechnik and others (made of |
| patrol a certain area. Top manufacturers | | | | plastics components); Microbric[5], which |
| include Egemin, Transbotics, FMC and Jervis B | | | | uses its mainboard as a chassis & on the more |
| Webb makes AGV "brains" used in freely moving | | | | professional side there exists e.g. the qfix |
| autonomous vehicles that do not require fixed | | | | robot kit; VexLABS robotics kit made of |
| paths as earlier AGVs have done. | | | | aluminium parts; and the iRobot Create, which |
| | | | provides a fully assembled robot platform |
| One robot being used in the United States is | | | | designed for expansion. Robots historically |
| the Tug robot by Aethon Inc, an automated | | | | used in education include the turtle robots |
| delivery system for hospitals. This robot | | | | (strongly associated with the Logo |
| travels around hospitals to deliver medical | | | | programming language) and the Heathkit HERO |
| supplies, medication, food trays, or just | | | | series. |
| about anything to nursing stations. Once it | | | | |