What is a robot?
A robot is a machine that can carry out physical tasks automatically. Robotics is the branch of technology that designs, builds and programs robots. Most robots combine sensors (to gather data about their surroundings), a control unit with a processor (to make decisions) and actuators or motors (to move parts and act).
Characteristics of a robot
- Mechanical structure - a physical body, arm or wheels that can move.
- Sensors - allow the robot to gather data, for example detecting distance, light or touch.
- Programmability - a robot follows stored instructions and can be re-programmed for a new task.
Key idea
A robot senses its environment, processes the data against its program, and acts using motors and actuators. This is the same sense -> process -> act loop used in other automated systems, but with the ability to move.
Uses, benefits and drawbacks
Robots are used in factories (welding, assembly, packing), in medicine, in exploration and in the home. They work continuously with high accuracy and can operate in dangerous conditions. However, they are expensive to buy and maintain, can replace human jobs, and lack human judgement, so they only do what they are programmed to do.
Example
A robot arm on a car production line uses position sensors to locate a panel, then its motors move the arm to weld the panel in exactly the same place on every car, all day without tiring.