Robotics

Robotics is the term used in artificial intelligence that deals with a study of creating intelligent and efficient robots.

What are Robots

Robots are multifunctional, re-programmable, automatic industrial machine designed for replacing human in hazardous
work.
Robots can be work as:-
o An automatic machine sweeper
o In space
o A machine removing mines in a war field
o An automatic car for a child to play with
o In military, etc.
Objective
The aim of the robot is to manipulate the objects by perceiving, moving, picking, modifying the physical properties of
object.
What is Robotics
Robotics is a branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is mainly composed of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering
and computer science engineering for construction, designing and
application of robots.
Robotics is science of building or designing an application of robots. The aim of robotics is to design an efficient robot.
Aspects of Robotics
o The robots have electrical components for providing power and control the machinery.
o They have mechanical construction, shape, or form designed to accomplish a particular task.
o It contains some type of computer program that determines what, when and how a robot does something.

Robotics History
First use of the word "Robotics":
The word robot was firstly introduced to public by Czech writer Karel Capek in his play Rossum's Universal Robots
(R.U.R), published in 1920. The play begins with a factory that makes artificial people known as robots.

The word "Robotics", was coined accidentally by the Russian-born, American scientist, Issac Asimov in 1940s .

The three laws of Robotics:

Issac Asimov also proposed his three "Laws of Robotics", and he later added a "zeroth law"

o Zeroth Law - A robot is not allowed to injured humanity, or, through inaction it allows humanity to come to
harm.
o First Law - A robot can not injure a human being, or, through inaction it allows a human being to come to harm,
unless it would violate the higher order law.
o Second Law - A robot should follow the orders given it by human beings, except when such orders give by
humans would conflict with a higher order law.
o Third Law - A robot is allowed to protect its own existence as long as such protection would not conflict with a
higher order law.
The first industrial robot: UNIMATE

In 1954 first programmable robot is designed by George Devol, who coins the term Universal Automation. He later
shortens this term to Unimation, which become the name of the first robot company in 1962.

Components of Robot
Consider the robot structure showing different components of robots are:

Consider the key components of robotics are:-

 o Power Supply - The working power to the robot is provided by batteries, hydraulic, solar power, or pneumatic
power sources.

o Actuators - Actuators are the energy conversion device used inside a robot. The major function of actuators is to
convert energy into movement.

o Electric motors (DC/AC)- Motors are electromechanical component used for converting electrical energy into its
equivalent mechanical energy. In robots motors are used for providing rotational movement.

o Sensors - Sensors provide real time information on the task environment. Robots are equipped with tactile
sensor it imitates the mechanical properties of touch receptors of human fingerprints and a vision sensor is used
for computing the depth in the environment.

o Controller - Controller is a part of robot that coordinates all motion of the mechanical system. It also receives an
input from immediate environment through various sensors. The heart of robot's controller is a microprocessor
linked with the input/output and monitoring device. The command issued by the controller activates the motion
control mechanism, consisting of various controller, actuators and amplifier.

Robot Locomotion
Locomotion is the method of moving from one place to another. The mechanism that makes a robot capable of moving
in its environment is called as robot locomotion.
There are many types of locomotion's:-
o Wheeled
o Legged
o Tracked slip/skid
o Combination of legged and wheeled locomotion

Legged locomotion
o It comes up with the variety of one, two, four, and six legs. If a robot has multiple legs then leg coordination is
required for locomotion.
o Legged locomotion consumes more power while demonstrating jump, hop, walk, trot, climb up or down etc.
o It requires more number of motors for accomplish a movement. It is suited for rough as well as smooth terrain
where irregular or too smooth surface makes it consume more operational power. It is little difficult to
implement because of stability issues.
The total number of possible gaits (a periodic sequence of release and lift events for each of the total legs) a robot can
travel depending upon the number of robot legs.
If a robot has K legs, then the number of possible events is,
N=(2K-1)!
In case of a two-legged robot (K=2), therefore the number of possible events is
N = (2K-1)!
N = (2*2-1)!
N = (4-1)!
N = 3!
N=6

Hence, there are six possible different events:-

 o Lifting the Right leg
o Lifting the Left leg
o Releasing the right leg
o Releasing the left leg
o Releasing both the legs together
o Lifting both the legs together
In case of K=4 legs, there are 5040 possible events. Hence the complexity of robots is dependent on number of legs of
robots. On increasing legs of a robot the complexity of robotic system increases.

Wheeled Locomotion
It requires less number of motors for accomplishing a movement. It is little easy to implement as there are lesser
stability issues in case of more number of wheels. It is more power efficient as compared to legged locomotion.
o Castor wheel - It rotates around the offset steering joint and wheel axle.
o Standard wheel - It rotates around the contact and the wheel axle.
o Ball or spherical wheel - This wheel is technically difficult to implement due to architectural complexity. It is an
Omni directional wheel with only one directional movement is allowed.
o Swedish 45 and Swedish 90 wheels - It is an Omni-wheel, which rotates around the contact point, around the
wheel axle, and around the rollers.

Slip/Skid Locomotion
In Slip/Skid locomotion the vehicles use tracks as available in a tank. The robot is steered by moving tracks with different
speeds in the same or opposite direction. It offers stability because of large contact area of ground and track.