robotics

Introduction to Robotics

1    What is robotics?

When mentioning robots, many people will think about machines with hands and feet (Fig. 1a).  However, this kind of machines often appears in scientific movies, entertainment, exhibitions and toy stores.  They are very different from industrial robots.  Industrial robots are abbreviated as IR.  Most of them are simple apparatus.  Sometimes they are called robotic arms (Fig. 1b).  Robotic arms are used in performing simple up-and-down motion, to take and pick out components from machines.  However, a lot of machines can be entirely controlled by programs to do different types of jobs, such as, searching, transportation, targeting, assembly and inspection.

Fig. 1 (a) Robots                                                         (b) Robotic arms

In 1979, the American Robots Association has defined robots as ‘a multi-functional operator which can be controlled by programs.  It moves the materials, components, tools and other special apparatus through control programs to finish a series of work’.   Although many industrial machines do not possess human shapes, they satisfy the criteria and can be called robots.

Robots are being used widely in industries.  It is estimated that a lot of industrial robots will be in service in near future.  At present, scientists are designing robots with visions so that robots can accomplish more complicated tasks.  The study of robots is called robotics.

2 Design of industrial robots

Industrial robots are made up of six basic constituent elements, they are: the dynamic system, the end-of-arm tool, the computerized digital controller, the actuators, the feedback devices and the sensor.