Robotics the New Era

Robotics is the science of study, design and making robots. A robot is a self-contained electronic, electric, mechanical or electro-mechanical system device. By the help of robot development of reprogrammable, multiformation manipulators that can be programmed to do several differing tasks without human assistance. For robotic engineers, the physical appearance of a machine is less important than that of the way its actions are controlled.

The word "robot" was invented in 1921 by the Czech play write Karel Capek's, when writing R.U.R. Capek, based the term on the root robota, which means servatude or forced labor.

"If every instrument could accomplish its own work, obeying or anticipating the will of others ... if the shuttle could weave, and the pick touch the lyre, without a hand to guide them, chief workmen would not need servants" (BBC Science Online, 2002). - Aristotle

It has two type of agency such as Mental Agency, Physical Agency.

An important feature of Mental Agency is the ability to make choices i.e. more a machine could feasibly choose to do something different. But in case of Physical Agency there are many laymen, if a machine looks anthropomorphic or zoomorphic. Especially if it is limb-like a simple robot arm or has limbs, or can move around, it would be called a robot.

Definitions of Robots:

Robotics Institute of America

The Robotics Institute of America (RIA) defines a robot as:

A re-programmable multi-functional manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.

Classifications of Robots:

The RIA recognizes four classes of robot:

1: Handling devices with manual control
2: Automated handling devices with predetermined cycles
3: Programmable, servo-controlled robots with continuous of point-to-point trajectories
4: Robots capable of Type C specifications which also acquire information from the environment for intelligent motion

Japanese Robot Association

The Japanese Robot Association (JARA) classifies robots into six classes :

1: Manual - Handling Devices actuated by an operator
2: Fixed Sequence Robot
3: Variable-Sequence Robot with easily modified sequence of control
4: Playback Robot, which can record a motion for later playback
5: Numerical Control Robots with a movement program to teach it tasks manually
6: Intelligent robot: that can understand its environment and able to complete the task despite changes in the operation conditions