Robotics Coming

Word robot was coined by a Czech novelist Karel Capek in a 1920 play titled Rassum’s Universal Robots (RUR). 

Robot in Czech is a word for worker or servant Definition of robot :
* Any machine made by by one our members : Robot Institute of America
* A robot is a reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks : Robot Institute of America, 1979

Laws of Robotics :
• Asimov proposed three “Laws ofRobotics” and later added the “zeroth law”
• Law 0: A robot may not injure humanity or through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm
• Law 1: A robot may not injure a human being or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, unless this would violate a higher order law
• Law 2: A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with a higher order law
• Law 3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with a higher order law

* The first industrial robot : UNIMATE in 1954 and the first programmable robot is designed by George Devol, who coins the term Universal Automation. He later shortens this to Unimation, which becomes the name of the first robot company (1962).

* In 1978 : The Puma (Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly) robot is developed by Unimation with a General Motors design support

* In 1980s : The robot industry enters a phase of rapid growth. Many institutions introduce programs and courses in robotics. Robotics courses are spread across mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science departments.

* In 1995 - present : Emerging applications in small robotics and mobile robots drive a second growth of start-up companies and research.

* In 2003: NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers will launch toward Mars in search of answers about the history of water on Mars.

Knowledgebase for Robotics :
* Typical knowledge base for the design and operation of robotics systems :
– Dynamic system modeling and analysis
– Feedback control
– Sensors and signal conditioning
– Actuators (muscles) and power electronics
– Hardware/computer interfacing
– Computer programming

Disciplines : mathematics, physics, biology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science.