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, a Humanoid robot manufactured by Honda .]] A robot is a of its own. The word ''robot'' can refer to both physical and virtual Software Agent s, but the latter are usually referred to as ''bots'' to differentiate.1 While there is still discussion23 4 about which machines qualify as robots, a typical robot will have several, though not necessarily all of the following properties:
DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS The last property (above), the appearance of agency, is important when people are considering whether to call a machine a robot. In general, the more a machine has the appearance of agency, the more it is considered a robot. is mentally anthropomorphic]] Mental agency For robotic engineers, the physical appearance of a machine is less important than the way its actions are Controlled .6 The more the control system seems to have agency of its own, the more likely the machine is to be called a robot. An important feature of agency is the ability to make choices. So the more a machine could feasibly choose to do something different, the more agency it has. For example:
Physical agency However, for many (e.g. ASIMO and Aibo ), especially if it is Limb -like (e.g. a simple Robot Arm ), or has limbs, or can move around, it would be called a robot. For example, even if the following examples used the same control architecture:
Interestingly, while a 3-axis CNC milling machine may have a very similar or identical control system to a robot arm, it is the arm which is almost always called a robot, while the CNC machine is usually just a machine. Having a limb can make all the difference. Having eyes too gives people a sense that a machine is aware (the eyes are the windows of the soul). However, simply being anthropomorphic is not sufficient for something to be called a robot. A robot must do something, whether it is useful work or not. So, for example, a rubber dog chew, shaped like ASIMO, would not be considered a robot. Official definitions and classifications of robots Countries have different definitions of what it means to be a robot. The Robotics Institute of America (RIA) officially recognizes four classes of robot:
In contrast, the Japanese Industrial Robot Association Japanese Industrial Robot Association (JIRA) recognizes as many as six classes:
Such variation makes it difficult to compare numbers of robots in different countries. Japan has so many robots partly because it counts more machines as robots. For this reason, the International Standards Organization gives a single definition to be used when counting the number of robots in each country. European Robotics Research Network International Standard ISO 8373 defines a "robot" as: Other definitions of robot There is no one definition of robot which satisfies everyone, and many people have their own. Robonexus Exhibition 2005, where participants were asked for their definition of robot For example, Joseph Engelberger , a pioneer in industrial robotics, once remarked: The ''Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary'' defines "robot" as: HISTORY Ancient developments The idea of artificial people dates at least as far back as the ancient legends of Cadmus , who sowed dragon teeth that turned into soldiers, and the myth of Pygmalion , whose statue of Galatea came to life. In Greek Mythology , the deformed god of metalwork ( Vulcan or Hephaestus ) created mechanical servants, ranging from intelligent, golden handmaidens to more utilitarian three-legged tables that could move about under their own power. Medieval Persia n Alchemist Jabir Ibn Hayyan , included recipes for creating artificial Snake s, Scorpion s, and Human s in his coded ''Book of Stones''. Jew ish legend tells of the Golem , a clay creature animated by Kabbalistic magic. Similarly, in the Younger Edda , Norse Mythology tells of a clay giant, Mökkurkálfi or Mistcalf, constructed to aid the troll Hrungnir in a duel with Thor , the God of Thunder . In Ancient China , a curious account on automata is found in the ''Lie Zi'' text, written in the 3rd century BC. Within it there is a description of a much earlier encounter between King Mu Of Zhou ( 1023 - 957 BC ) and a mechanical engineer known as Yan Shi , an 'artificer'. The latter proudly presented the king with a life-size, human-shaped figure of his mechanical handiwork.
Concepts akin to a robot can be found as long ago as the 4th century BC, when the Greek mathematician , 1999 . Hero Of Alexandria (10-70 AD) made numerous innovations in the field of automata, including one that allegedly could speak. Medieval developments . One of the first recorded designs of a humanoid robot was made by ). Early modern developments The word ''robot'' was introduced by Czech writer , drudgery" in the Czech Language and being the general root for ''work'' in other Slavic Languages . (See Karel Čapek for more details). An early Automaton was created 1738 by Jacques De Vaucanson , who created a mechanical duck that was able to eat and digest grain, flap its wings, and excrete. The Japanese craftsman Hisashige Tanaka, known as "Japan's Edison," created an array of extremely complex mechanical toys, some of which were capable of serving tea, firing arrows drawn from a quiver, or even painting a Japanese ''kanji'' character. The landmark text ''Karakuri Zui'' (''Illustrated Machinery'') was published in 1796. (T. N. Hornyak, ''Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots'' York: Kodansha International, 2006 ) In 1898 Nikola Tesla publicly demonstrated a radio-controlled (teleoperated) Boat , similar to a modern ROV . Based on his patents , and for "teleautomation", Tesla hoped to develop the "wireless Torpedo " into a Weapon System for the US Navy . (Cheney 1989) See also the PBS website article (with photos): Tesla - Master of Lightning Modern Developments In the 1930s, Westinghouse Electric Corporation made a humanoid robot known as Elektro , exhibited at the 1939 and 1940 World's Fair s. The first electronic , 2007 The first truly modern robot, digitally operated, programmable, and teachable, was invented by George Devol in 1954 and was ultimately called the Unimate . It is worth noting that not a single patent was cited against his original robotics patent (). The first Unimate was personally sold by Devol to General Motors in 1960 and installed in 1961 in a plant in Trenton, New Jersey to lift hot pieces of Metal from a Die Casting machine and stack them. Robot Fatalities The first human to be killed by a robot was , 1984 . A better known case is that of 37 year-old '', June 8 , 2006 ; accessed online 4-30-2007. TIMELINE CONTEMPORARY USES See Also: Industrial robot Domestic robot Robots can be placed into roughly two categories based on the type of job they do:
Increased productivity, accuracy, and endurance s doing vehicle under body assembly]] Jobs which require speed, accuracy, reliability or endurance can be performed far better by a robot than a human. Hence many jobs in factories which were traditionally performed by people are now robotized. This has led to cheaper mass-produced goods, including automobiles and electronics. Robots have now been working in factories for more than fifty years, ever since the Unimate robot was installed to automatically remove hot metal from a die casting machine. Since then, factory automation in the form of large stationary manipulators has become the largest market for robots. The number of installed robots has grown faster and faster, and today there are more than 800,000 worldwide (42% in Japan , 40% in the European Union and 18% in the USA ). United Nations Economic Commission for Europe: World Robotics 2004 survey ] Some examples of factory robots:
Tasks such as these suit robots perfectly because the tasks can be accurately defined and must be performed the same every time. Very little feedback or intelligence is required, and the robots may need only the most basic of to sense things in their environment, if any at all. Dirty, dangerous, dull or inaccessible tasks There are many jobs which a human could perform better than a robot but for one reason or another the human either does not want to do it or cannot be present to do the job. The job may be too boring to bother with, for example domestic surgery. Robot assisted surgery: da Vinci® Surgical System domestic Vacuum Cleaner robot does a menial job]]
robotic Surgery machine.]]
CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS After five decades of development, robotics technology is approaching its infancy. Many of the promises of science fiction have yet to be realised, and our imagination still far exceeds our ability to manufacture and program. However, the technology is developing quite rapidly on all fronts, including intelligence, sensing, manipulation and actuation, walking gait and navigation. Components of Robots Actuation The actuators are the ' Muscles ' of a robot; the parts which convert Stored Energy into movement. By far the most popular actuators are Electric Motor s, but there are many others, some of which are powered by electricity, while others use chemicals, or compressed air.
system holding a Lightbulb . Touch sensors in the fingertips allow it to apply gentle pressure.]] Manipulation Robots which must work in the real world require some way to manipulate objects; pick up, modify, destroy or otherwise have an effect. Thus the 'hands' of a robot are often referred to as end effectors ATI Industrial Automation: What is a a robotic end-effector? , while the arm is referred to as a manipulator. Cambridge University Press: Kinematic Analysis of Robot Manipulators Most robot arms have replacable effectors, each allowing them to perform some small range of tasks. Some have a fixed manipulator which cannot be replaced, while a few have one very general purpose manipulator, for example a humanoid hand.
Locomotion Rolling Robots in the Robot museum in Nagoya .]] For simplicity, most mobile robots have Wheel s. However, some researchers have tried to create more complex wheeled robots, with only one or two wheels.
Walking Robots ]] :Walking is a difficult and dynamic problem to solve. Several robots have been made which can walk reliably on two legs, however none have yet been made which are as robust as a human. Typically, these robots can walk well on flat floors, can occasionally walk up Stairs . None can walk over rocky, uneven terrain. Some of the methods which have been tried are:
Other methods of locomotion Unmanned Aerial Vehicle . No pilot means no windows.]]
Human Interaction can produce a range of facial expressions]] If robots are to work effectively in homes and other non-industrial environments, the way they are instructed to perform their jobs, and especially how they will be told to stop will be of critical importance. The people who interact with them may have little or no training in robotics, and so any interface will need to be extremely intuitive. Science fiction authors also typically assume that robots will eventually communicate with humans by Talking , Gesture s and Facial Expressions , rather than a Command-line Interface . Although speech would be the most natural way for the human to communicate, it is quite unnatural for the robot. It will be quite a while before robots interact as naturally as the fictional C3P0 .
Unusual Robots Much of the research in robotics focuses not on specific industrial tasks, but on investigations into new types of robot, alternative ways to think about or design robots, and new ways to manufacture them. It is expected that these new types of robot will be able to solve real world problems when they are finally realised. made from a single molecule Rice University: Rice scientists build world's first single-molecule car ]]
of robots from the Open-source micro-robotic project Open-source micro-robotic project ]]
DANGERS AND FEARS Although current robots are not believed to have developed to the stage where they pose any threat or danger to , The Matrix , I, Robot '') Robots would be dangerous if they where programmed to kill or if they are programmed to be so smart that they make there own software, build there own hardware to upgrade themselves or if they change there own source code. Three Laws of Robotics '' Frankenstein '' (1818), sometimes called the first science fiction novel, has become synonymous with the theme of a robot or monster advancing beyond its creator. Probably the best known author to have worked in this area is Isaac Asimov who placed robots and their interaction with society at the center of many of his works. Of particular interest are Asimov's Three Laws Of Robotics . Currently, malicious programming or unsafe use of robots may be the biggest danger. Although industrial robots may be smaller and less powerful than other industrial machines, they are just as capable of inflicting severe injury on humans. However, since a robot can be programmed to move in different trajectories depending on its task, its movement can be unpredictable for a person standing in its reach. Therefore, most industrial robots operate inside a security fence which separates them from human workers. and to exhibit safe behavior in a human environment is one of the great challenges in robotics. Some people suggest that developing a robot with a conscience may be helpful in this regard. LITERATURE ]] See Also: Robots in literature See Also: List of fictional robots and androids Robots have frequently appeared as characters in works of literature; the word ''robot'' comes from Karel Čapek 's play '' R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) '', premiered in 1920. Isaac Asimov wrote many volumes of Science Fiction focusing on robots in numerous forms and guises, contributing greatly to reducing the Frankenstein Complex , which dominated early works of fiction involving robots. His Three Laws Of Robotics have become particularly well known for codifying a simple set of behaviors for robots to remain at the service of their human creators. The first reference in Western literature to mechanical servants appears in The Iliad of Homer . In Book XVIII, Hephaestus , god of fire, creates new armour for the hero Achilles. He is assisted by robots. According to the Rieu translation, "Golden maidservants hastened to help their master. They looked like real women and could not only speak and use their limbs but were endowed with intelligence and trained in handwork by the immortal gods." Of course, the words "robot" or "android" are not used to describe them, but they are nevertheless mechanical devices human in appearance. Numerous words for different types of robots are now used in literature. Robot has come to mean mechanical humans, while Android is a generic term for artificial humans. Cyborg or " Bionic man" is used for a human form that is a mixture of organic and mechanical parts. Organic artificial humans have also been referred to as "constructs" (or "biological constructs"). COMPETITIONS See Also: Robot competition practicing for Robocup ]] Botball is a LEGO -based competition between fully Autonomous robots. There are two divisions. The first is for high-school and middle-school students, and the second (called "Beyond Botball") is for anyone who chooses to compete at the national tournament. Teams build, program, and blog about a robot for five weeks before they compete at the Regional level. Winners are awarded Scholarships to register for and travel to the national tournament. Botball is a project of the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics, based in Norman, Oklahoma. The FIRST Robotics Competition is a multinational competition that teams professionals and young people to solve an engineering design problem. These teams of mentors (corporate, teachers, or college students) and high school students collaborate in order to design and build a robot in six weeks. This robot is designed to play a game that is developed by FIRST and changes from year to year. FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is an organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1992 as a way of getting high school students involved in and excited about engineering and technology. The FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC) is a mid-level Robotics competition targeted toward high-school aged students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit. The ultimate goal of FVC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, and engineering. FIRST LEGO League (also known by its acronym FLL) is a robotics competition for elementary and middle school students (ages 9-14, 9-16 in Europe), arranged by FIRST. Each year the contest focuses on a different topic related to the sciences. Each challenge within the competition then revolves around that theme. The students then work out solutions to the various problems that they're given and meet for regional tournaments to share their knowledge and show off their ideas. Competitions for Talha robots are gaining popularity and competitions now exist catering for a wide variety of robot builders ranging from schools to research institutions. Robots compete at a wide range of tasks including ). A contest for fire-fighting is the Trinity College Fire-Fighting Robot Contest. Trinity College Fire-Fighting Robot Contest The competition in April 2007 was the 14th annual. There are many different divisions for all skill levels. Robots in the competition are encouraged to find new ways to navigate through the rooms, put out the candle and save the "child" from the building. Robots can be composed of any materials, but must fit within certain size restrictions. Most recently, Duke University announced plans to host the Duke Annual Robo-Climb Competition aimed to challenge students to create innovative wall-climbing robots that can autonomously ascend vertical surfaces. Duke Annual Robo-Climb Since 2004, DARPA Grand Challenge tests Driverless Car s in an obstacle course across the desert. SEE ALSO : ''Main list: List Of Basic Robotics Topics '' For classes and types of robots see . Research areas Additional topics REFERENCES General references
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