ROBOTICS
It
is a field of Engineering that covers the mimicking of human behavior. Robotics
includes the knowledge of Mechanical, Electronics, Electrical & Computer
Science Engineering.
LAWS OF ROBOTICS
The term robotics was coined in the 1940s by
science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.
Asimov's Laws of Robotics:
•
A
robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being
to come to harm.
•
A
robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such order
would conflict with the First Law.
•
A
robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not
conflict with the First or Second Law.
MODERN ROBOTS
Mobile
robot:
Mobile
robots have the capability to move around in their environment and are not fixed
to one physical location. An example of a mobile robot that is in common use
today is the automated guided vehicle or automatic guided vehicle (AGV). An AGV
is a mobile robot that follows markers or wires in the floor, or uses vision or
lasers. AGVs are discussed later in this article.
Mobile
robots are also found in industry, military and security environments. They
also appear as consumer products, for entertainment or to perform certain tasks
like vacuum cleaning. Mobile robots are the focus of a great deal of current
research and almost every major university has one or more labs that focus on
mobile robot research.
Modern
robots are usually used in tightly controlled environments such as on assembly
lines because they have difficulty responding to unexpected interference.
Because of this most humans rarely encounter robots. However domestic robots
for cleaning and maintenance are increasingly common in and around homes in
developed countries. Robots can also be found in military applications.
Industrial
robots:
Industrial
robots usually consist of a jointed arm (multi-linked manipulator) and end
effector that is attached to a fixed surface. One of the most common type of
end effector is a gripper assembly.
The
International Organization for Standardization gives a definition of a
manipulating industrial robot in ISO 8373:
"an
automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose, manipulator
programmable in three or more axes, which may be either fixed in place or
mobile for use in industrial automation applications."
This
definition is used by the International Federation of Robotics, the European
Robotics Research Network (EURON) and many national standards committees.
Military
robots:
Some
experts and academics have questioned the use of robots for military combat,
especially when such robots are given some degree of autonomous functions.There
are also concerns about technology which might allow some armed robots to be
controlled mainly by other robots.The US Navy has funded a report which
indicates that as military robots become more complex, there should be greater
attention to implications of their ability to make autonomous decisions.One
researcher states that autonomous robots might be more humane, as they could
make decisions more effectively. However, other experts question this.
Some
public concerns about autonomous robots have received media attention.One robot
in particular, the EATR, has generated concerns over its fuel source as it can
continually refuel itself using organic substances.Although the engine for the
EATR is designed to run on biomass and vegetation specifically selected by its
sensors which can find on battlefields or other local environments the project
has stated that chicken fat can also be used.The BAE Taranis is a UCAV built by
Great Britain which can fly across continents without a pilot and has new means
to avoid detection.Flight trials are expected to begin in 2011.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
Even
though, it performs some operations like a human (interactions & facial
expressions). The complexity affects all those things. While only a few
institutions are fully dedicated to the creation of humanoid robots, a host of
projects around the world are meeting with encouraging success in particular
areas. If it overcomes all those drawbacks, after 10 years there is no need of
human to work. The only work to human is to think how to command all these
humanoid robots.
BY ; MOSES DHILIP KUMAR
