If every tool, when ordered, or even of its own accord, could do the work that befits it… then there would be no need of apprentices for the master workers or of slaves for the lords.

Aristotle 322 B.C.

We define computers as machines that help us think. Many other machines usually help us perform more labor-intensive manual work. What happens if we combine both of these machines? What if the machine that helps us in manual work also has a computer inside it that helps it think and as a result helps us in both thinking and manual work. We call such machines “robots” and “robotics” is the field of study that deals with them. One major application of computers today is in the field of robotics.

The word “robot” comes from the Czech word, rabota, meaning, “forced labor or work”. The word robot first appeared in a 1920 play by Czech writer Karel Capek, titled R.U.R: Rossum’s Universal Robots.

Features of a Robot

  1. A robot can be controlled in three possible ways
    1. Tele-operated or Remote Controlled. A human controls the robot through a connected device.
    2. Fully Autonomous. The robots makes all decisions itself based on its program and input data from the environment.
    3. Semi-autonomous. The robot can make some decisions based on its program, but still needs a human controller for some actions.
  2. The robot has to exist in the physical world and cannot just be a program running inside a computer. This requires that there is a mechanical construction of its body.
  3. The robot has “sensors” that obtain information from the physical surrounding environment and give this as input to the robot. Some of these sensors include:
    1. Vision sensors provide visual input information in form of images.
    2. Accelerometers provide information that to determine motion and speed of the robot.
    3. Proximity sensors provide information regarding possible hazards or obstacles in the environment.
  4. The robots process the input information using “controllers” which can be thought of as computers as inside the robot.
  5. “Actuators” are motors that act as the muscles of a robot, allowing it to provide physical output by acting on the environment.
  6. Finally, through a cycle of the above actions, a robot is able to achieve well-defined goals.

Applications of Robots

Since their invention, robots have found widespread applications in many different fields. Two key characteristics of tasks that can benefit from robots are:

  1. Jobs that are dangerous for humans to perform.
  2. Jobs that are repetitive and can result in boredom for human workers.

Some examples of modern robot usage include bomb disposal, deep-sea and space exploration, navigation, medical surgery, emergency relief in disaster struck areas, delivery service, entertainment, education etc.









Perhaps envisioning a world where the robots can over the world, science fiction author Isaac Asimov, introduced the following “laws of robotics”. Do you agree with them? Do they always work?

0. A robot may not injure humanity, or through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

1. A robot may not injure humanity, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders conflict with law one.

3. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with law One and Two.”