Introduction to Robotics
Written by
– Introduction
– What is Robotics?
– Parts of a robot
Introduction
Right from our childhood we all were totally fascinated about automation, isn’t it? Whether it’s your first automatic battery operated car or your pretty dancing barbie doll, we just adore them! As days passed by we also started to operate them manually with remote controllers and still the evolution is blooming.
Well anything that is automated or controlled by humans are robots and the deep study about it is called robotics, it is as simple as that even a non-coder and a beginner in automation can develop a robot as all it needs is “Creativity and Confidence to Create”.
If you can visualize you can versatile in automation, as Robotics is all about the personalized commands from the developer. Robotics has paved its way to make even a school going kid to turn as a Robot developer because of its user-interface and high accessibility and open source developers like Arduino, Raspberry pi, IoT, and much more.
What is Robotics?
Robotics is a domain of application that applies both the works of hardware and software similar to embedded systems. It is interdisciplinary research comprising of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and application of robots. The ultimate goal of robotics is to design artificial machines that have the capability to assist human beings in their day-to-day livelihoods and works.
Robotics comes from the root word robot, which is originated from a Slavic word robota where Robota means labor or work.Robots are the substitutes or replacement for Human’s actions including speaking, walking, dancing, and even singing and even the tasks that cannot be done by humans are made possible with robots as they don’t have bones to break or muscles to twist.
Robotics is the trending technology that highly influences every aspect of life whether it’s your work or home. Robotics has the efficiency and ultimatum to positively transform the lives along with safety levels by providing enhanced levels of automated services.
Parts of a robot
Control system
Our reactions are a result of our own body’s feedback where sensory organs in human beings senses the environment and gives feedback to our brain to perform the necessary action. Similarly, the use of feedback to control the functions of a machine dates back to at least 1745, when a mill owner named Edmund Lee applied the principle to improve the functionality of his own wind-powered mill.
In the beginning, when the wind changes its direction to the other side, his workers had to move the windmill to compensate for the balance. Lee used his innovation and added two smaller windmills to the larger one. These smaller windmills powered the axle that automatically turned the larger one to face the wind.
Instead of a collection of neurons as in human beings,a robot’s brain has a collection of many silicon chips referred to as the central processing unit or CPU. The chip structure in the robot is similar to that of the chip that runs your computer. Five senses help our brain to decide the function of our body. A robot’s CPU is similar to the human brain based on the data collected by sensors.
Sensors
Like humans, robots can also sense the environment using various kinds of sensors like temperature, light, sound, moisture, and even the obstacles that come before its path. The CPU of a robot is used to interpret signals from the sensors where it performs the tasks and actions according to it.
Actuators
The structure of a Robot body consists of metal, plastic, and other similar materials where small motors and actuators are present inside the body of the robot. Actuators mimic the human muscle which is necessary to move the robot. In the case of humanoid robots, a human’s legs and hands are the mimic parts to upgrade in it.
Power supply
Human beings obtain their energy from food where the food is broken down into small particles and converted into energy by our cells which is called ATP. Robots get their energy from electricity.
Robots that move around automatically without any manual function is usually powered by batteries. Even our robotic space probes and the high space satellites are also designed to collect solar power for the process of movement and supply storage.
End effectors
In order to carry out the assigned tasks, robots are equipped with a machine called as end effectors. They vary according to the task that is needed to get performed by the robot. For example, robotic factory workers have interchangeable tools such as paint sprayers or welding torches.
