Robotics

Robotics is an interdisciplinary field of science and engineering dedicated to the design, construction, and use of robots, orprogrammable machines, tothat assistcomplete and mimic human actionstasks by carrying out areplicating seriesor ofsubstituting complexhuman actions. Robots can offer advantages compared to human labour due to improved performance, and protecting humans from injury or harsh environments that would be unsafe or impossible for humans to operate within. These include in space, underwater, extreme temperatures, or high radiation environments. Robotics incorporates core disciplines such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science.

Robots initially were built to perform monotonous tasks such as manufacturing cars on an assembly line, but have since developed to perform more complex work. Many robot applications are in environments either unsafe or impossible for humans to operate within. These include in space, underwater, in high heat, or high radiation environments.

Robotics is a broad field and robots can take a number of forms each with the objective of creating intelligent machines that assist humans in a variety of ways. While robots most commonly refer to physical, programmable machines, the phrase can also refer to purely software machines. For example, robotic process automation where intelligent software-based machines simulate how humans interact with software to perform repetitive tasks based on a series of user-defined rules. Physical robots can take a range of forms including a robotic arm, a collaborative robot (cobot), a robotic exoskeleton or a humanoid robot. While robotics hardware can take many forms, common characteristics include:

• Mechanical construction—the mechanical, physical form of the robot designed in accordance with its application.
• Electrical components—that control and provide the power needed to move and perform tasks.
• Software program—computer programming and algorithms that determine how the robot behaves.

While robots exist in many different types and forms, common characteristics include:

1. Robots consist of some kind of mechanical construction designed to perform a specific task.
2. Robots contain electrical components in order to power and control their machinery.
3. Robots require computer programming of some kind to decide when or how to undertake a task.

Robots have different levels of autonomy, ranging from human-controlled bots to fully autonomous bots that can perform tasks and learn to improve without external intervention. Robots can typically perform basic, repetitive tasks with greater efficiency and accuracy than humans, leading to their adoption in industries like manufacturing. These robots are pre-programmed to perform specific functions in a controlled environment, such as a mechanical arm on an automotive assembly line. Robots may also be remotely controlled by humans from a safe distance. These teleoperated robots are commonly used in extreme environments where it would not be possible for humans to perform the same tasks. The introduction of AI and machine learning has led to the development of robots capable of more complex tasks across a range of industries. Autonomous robots operate independently with little to no human operation, carrying out tasks in open environments. They use sensors to perceive the world around them and decision-making structures that respond to feedback from the environment to determine their next action.

Robots each have differing levels of autonomy, from human-controlled bots performing tasks fully controlled by a human to fully autonomous bots that can perform tasks without any human intervention.

Robotics are used across a number of industries including:

• Healthcare
• Domestic & other services
• Entertainment
• Electronics
• Automotive
• Logistics
• Agriculture