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robotics

By Kinza Yasar

What is robotics?

Robotics is a branch of engineering and computer science that involves the conception, design, manufacture and operation of robots. The objective of the robotics field is to create intelligent machines that can assist humans in a variety of ways.

Robotics can take on a number of forms. A robot might resemble a human or be in the form of a robotic application, such as robotic process automation, which simulates how humans engage with software to perform repetitive, rules-based tasks.

While the field of robotics and exploration of the potential uses and functionality of robots have grown substantially in the 21st century, the idea certainly isn't new.

The early history of robotics

The term robotics is an extension of the word robot. One of its first uses came from Czech writer Karel Čapek, who used the word in his 1920 play, Rossum's Universal Robots.

However, in the 1940s, the Oxford English Dictionary credited science fiction author Isaac Asimov for being the first person to use the term. In Asimov's story, he suggested three principles to guide the behavior of autonomous robots and smart machines:

  1. Robots must never harm human beings.
  2. Robots must follow instructions from humans without violating rule 1.
  3. Robots must protect themselves without violating the other rules.

His three laws of robotics have survived to the present day. However, it wasn't until a couple of decades later, in 1961, that the first programmable robot -- called Unimate, derived from universal automation -- was created based on designs from the '50s to move scalding metal pieces from a die-cast machine. The Stanford Research Institute's robot dubbed Shakey followed suit in 1966 as the first mobile robot, thanks to software and hardware that enabled it to sense and grasp the environment, though in a limited capacity.

Robotics applications

Today, industrial robots, as well as many other types of robots, are used to perform repetitive tasks. They can take the form of a robotic arm, a collaborative robot (cobot), a robotic exoskeleton or traditional humanoid robots.

Industrial robots and robot arms are used by manufacturers and warehouses, such as those owned by Amazon and Best Buy.

To function, a combination of computer programming and algorithms, a remotely controlled manipulator, actuators, control systems -- action, processing and perception -- real-time sensors and an element of automation help to inform what a robot or robotic system does.

Some additional applications for robotics include the following:

Types of robotics

Robots are designed to perform specific tasks and operate in different environments. The following are some common types of robots used across various industries:

Machine learning in robotics

Machine learning and robotics intersect in a field known as robot learning. Robot learning is the study of techniques that enable a robot to acquire new knowledge or skills through ML algorithms.

Some applications that have been explored by robot learning include grasping objects, object categorization and even linguistic interaction with a human peer. Learning can happen through self-exploration or guidance from a human operator.

To learn, intelligent robots must accumulate facts through human input or sensors. Then, the robot's processing unit compares the newly acquired data with previously stored information to predict the best course of action based on the data it has acquired. However, it's important to understand that a robot can only solve problems that it's built to solve. It doesn't have general analytical abilities.

Some examples of current applications of machine learning in robotics include the following:

The pros and cons of robotics

Robotic systems are coveted in many industries because they can increase accuracy, reduce costs and increase safety for human beings.

Common advantages of robotics include the following:

However, despite these benefits, robotics also comes with the following drawbacks:

The future of robotics

Robots are becoming more efficient, flexible and autonomous as AI, machine learning and sensor technologies progress. They're predicted to play an increasingly essential role in a variety of industries and applications in the future. A study by Spherical Insights and Consulting estimated that the size of the global robotics market will increase from $25.82 billion in 2022 to $115.88 billion by 2032.

However, there are also possible concerns about employment losses associated with the exponential adoption of robotics across various industries. According to Oxford Economics, up to 20 million manufacturing jobs could be lost to robots by 2030. On the flip side, robots are likely to generate new professional opportunities in fields such as programming and maintenance, despite the looming possibility of job losses.

Manufacturing organizations are using robotics and AI to improve operations and boost productivity. Explore the 10 use cases of robotics in the manufacturing industry.

12 Jul 2023

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