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Clickipedia
The term ‘robot’ was coined by novelist and playwright Karel Capek in the year 1920. The
term ‘robot’ was first used to denote fictional characters in a 1921 play ‘Rossum’s Universal
Robots'.
Robots are made up of a vast variety of electronic components, sensors, servo motors, flexible-
axis devices, chips and microprocessors. But they have an edge over other machines as they can
be programmed to have a certain degree of autonomy.
The branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science that deals
with the design, construction, operation and application of robots, as well as computer systems
for their control, sensory feedback and information processing is called Robotics. In other words,
robotics is the engineering science and technology of robots, their designing, manufacturing
and application.
Clickipedia
The word robot comes from the Slavic word robota, which means forced labour. The term
robotics was first used in print by Issac Asimov, in his science fiction short story ‘Liar’
published in May 1941.
USES OF ROBOTICS
Robots are used in various sectors, but they can be broadly classified into two types—industrial
robots and service robots.
Industrial robots are mainly used in manufacturing industries such as automotives industries.
These robots are programmed using computers.
Service robots include domestic robots that clean the carpet or cut grass in the garden and
move on their own. They are fully or semi-autonomous robots and controlled by electronic
circuits. Some of the service robots are simple versions with very few IC (Integrated Circuit) chips
while others have more than hundred ICs.
The integration of computer programming into the field of robotics has resulted in amazing
technological advancements. Programmed robots can now track cyclones and weather conditions.
With the help of computers it is possible to view images from satellites.
Clickipedia
Robotics has also helped in the
development of space probes A robot Dante II monitored the
that collect information about the volcanic activity of Alaska’s Mount
solar system as well as the sun. Spurr in the year 1994. The robot
Scientists are working on a robot descended into the crater and used
that is capable of digging the dirt video cameras to transmit images to
from moon and collecting it in a satellites.
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