Robotics

Robotics or the world of robots has developed significantly over the past 50 years. Robots are needed more and more around the world. In factories, war plants, agriculture, geography and even astronomy, and many other fields as well.

Robots these days work in factories such as Ford, or investigate volcanoes around the world. They are also sent out into space, to the moon or mars for search of evidence of any sort of life form around us. Robots these days are even used in public transportation, for example in Paris in trains. Basically robots are becoming more essential to us as time passes by and technology develops.

Most people would think that the start of robotics actually began this century. The fact is, the idea of mechanical humans or mechanical instruments carrying out certain tasks existed a long time ago. “The ancient Greek poet Homer described maidens of gold, metallic helpers for the Hephaistos, the Greek god of the forge. The golems of medieval Jewish legend were robot-like servants made of clay, brought to life by a spoken charm. Leonardo da Vinci drew plans for a mechanical man in 1495” (1). The first computer controlled robot was created in 1959. The first product was known as the “ashtrays”.

From here on in, the idea of robotics began to expand.

We know what a robot does, however, what is a robot? A good scientific definition is:

“A robot is a programmable machine that imitates the actions or appearance of an intelligent creature–usually a human. To qualify as a robot, a machine has to be able to do two things: 1) get information from its surroundings, and 2) do something physical–such as move or manipulate objects”. So basically it defines a robot as an object that can sense the environment around it, and in accordance with the information it receives from that environment, it takes a decision as what to do with it on its own.

Sensing 

The most important thing a robot is designed to do is sense the environment around it. It senses its surroundings and receives the information and transfers it as electrical signals. So robots contain light sensors. For example, they are programmed to follow only white lights. So one for example the light is shone on the floor, the robot will follow that certain line and nothing else. Some robots use ultrasonic to “see”. There usually used in seas.

Thinking    

There are three methods a robot can use to think. Those three types are a part of artificial intelligence. There is the “Rule based system”, the “ Neural networks”, and the “stimulus-response mechanism”

Questions-

1-     What is an actuator?

2-     Why it is difficult for engineers to program robots to be able to see, or why is it difficult to enhance robotic vision?

3-     What are rule based systems?

4-     What is the difference between the “Rule based system”, the “ Neural networks”, and the “stimulus-response mechanism”?

References:

1-     http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/robotics/universal/index.html

2-     http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/robotics/universal/page11.html

3-     http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/robotics/universal/page09.html