In the rapidly evolving field of technology, the terms robotics, robots, and machines often intertwine.
Let’s explore these concepts, each distinct yet interconnected in the broader context of automation and artificial intelligence.
Robotics
Robotics is an interdisciplinary field that integrates computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. It involves the design, construction, operation, and use of robots. This field is concerned with creating machines that can substitute for humans, especially in performing repetitive tasks or tasks in hazardous environments.
Applications of robotics span across various industries, including but not limited to:
Security. Robots can assist human security guards with real-time, actionable intelligence.
Space Exploration. Robots like Mars Rover are used to perform tasks that are too dangerous for humans.
Entertainment. Robots can manage cameras, provide special effects, and perform dangerous stunts in movies.
Manufacturing. Robots are widely used in industries such as automobile manufacturing to perform simple repetitive tasks.
Health Care. Robots assist surgeons in delicate procedures and can even perform some surgeries autonomously.
Robots
A robot is a physical machine capable of carrying out tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously, often with the ability to interact with its environment.
The term “robot” is used to describe everything from human-like robots, to industrial robots (that more resemble machines), to UAV drones, to microscopic nano robots.
The term "robot" originates from the Czech word "robota", which means "servitude," "forced labor" or "drudgery.” It was introduced by the Czech playwright, novelist, and journalist Karel Čapek in his 1920 play, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) which tells the story of a company that mass produces workers who "lack nothing but a soul" and perform all the work that humans prefer not to do.
Robots exhibit a range of capabilities.
Industrial robots, for example, are programmed to carry out specific actions such as welding and assembly. They perform the same repetitive tasks and typically have limited functionality.
But artificially intelligent robots also exist. These are robots that not only interact with the physical world but also incorporate AI to make decisions and perform tasks.
Most robots are capable of perceiving the environment using sensors, responding to that environment appropriately based on their algorithmic programming, and performing complex actions such as grasping and moving objects.
Machines
A machine is a device that does work.
All robots are machines, but not all machines are robots. Here are some key differences:
Autonomy. A robot is capable of performing its functions with little or no direct human influence. For example, robots in an automobile assembly line can start and complete the assembly of vehicles autonomously. A machine, on the other hand, such as a crane, would require human interaction to work.
Sensory Input. Due to their autonomy, most robots usually need to have a form of information input system that can help guide them in doing their tasks. Robots do this with the use of sensors that help them discern their environments and perform their jobs. An ordinary machine, on the other hand, does not make use of sensory data to adapt to its environment.
Complexity. Machines are designed to perform simple or complex tasks, depending on their purpose. They are usually static and do not change their behavior based on their environment. Robots, however, can be programmed to perform very complex tasks and can adapt their behavior based on the input from their sensors.
Robots rising: Fears and Misconceptions
Fears
Job Loss. There is a fear that robots will take over human jobs. While automation may change the nature of some jobs, it also creates new industries and job opportunities. Additionally, to date robots continue to require extensive training to perform tasks that are comparatively simple for humans.
Safety Concerns. Some people fear that robots are not safe, especially in the workplace. There have been cases of robot related workplace accidents, most recently a tragic incident in South Korea where a man was crushed to death by a robot at a vegetable packing plant. (The man, an employee of the robotics company, was inspecting the robot when the robotic arm, which was programmed to handle boxes of vegetables, mistook him for a box and grabbed him.)
This incident underscores the importance of safety measures in the field of robotics. Robots, especially collaborative robots, are built using safety standards and technology to ensure they are as safe as possible.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Dangerous. Some people fear that AI, which is used in some robots, is dangerous. AI-enableD robots use a form of AI termed “narrow AI” meaning they can be trained to perform a single or narrow task, but they cannot perform outside of that defined task.
"Robots in industrial settings can use Narrow AI to perform routine, repetitive tasks that involve materials handling, assembly and quality inspections." From October 2023 IBM Blog, "Understanding the different types of artificial intelligence."
We are still far from creating robots that are as smart or smarter than humans.
Misconceptions
Robots are a Modern Invention. While we often associate robots with the future, the idea of artificial helpers has been around for thousands of years. Even in the sense that we understand robots today, the earliest robots date to the 1950s.
The Unimate (from “Universal Automation”) was a reprogrammable manipulator invented by George C. Devol. Devol’s original patent was filed in 1954 and granted in 1961 and the Unimate subsequently became the first industrial robot, working on a General Motors assembly line in Ewing Township, New Jersey in 1961 performing work once done by humans.
The Unimate was inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame in 2003.
Most Robots Assemble Cars. While the automotive industry once accounted for 90 percent of all robots, today they are found in diverse environments including hospitals, labs, and energy plants.
Using narrow AI, healthcare robots care assist surgeons during procedures, monitoring vitals and detecting potential complications, writes the IBM Data and AI Team in "Understanding the different types of artificial intelligence." Agricultural robots prune and thin plants. Robot vacuums use computer vision to navigate interior landscapes and data stored in memory to monitor progress.
Robots are Expensive. While some robots can be expensive, there are affordable robots available for everyday consumers.
While surgery robots cost millions of dollars robot vacuums can cost as little as $100 to $300 dollars. Miko 3, a personal robot that uses artificial intelligence to promote learning and entertain kids is priced at $199 dollars.
Conclusion
An understanding of the distinctions between robotics, robots, and machines is essential in today’s technology-driven world.
By addressing common fears and misconceptions, we foster a more informed view of these entities.
“At bottom, robotics is about us. It is the discipline of emulating our lives, of wondering how we work.” - Dr. Roderic A. Grupen, professor of computer science and director of the Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst