ROBOTICS

The term robot comes from the Czech word robota, generally translated as "forced labor." This describes the majority of robots
fairly well. Most robots in the world are designed for heavy, repetitive manufacturing work. They handle tasks that are difficult,
dangerous or boring to human beings.

Robot, as defined by International Standards Organization (ISO), robot is a machine formed by a mechanism, including several
degrees of freedom, often having the appearance of one or several arms ending in a wrist capable of holding a tool, a workpiece,
or an inspection device. In particular, its control unit must use a memorizing device and it may sometimes use sensing or
adaptation appliances to take into account environment and circumstances. These multipurpose machines are generally
designed to carry out repetitive function and be adapted to other functions.

“A robot is a reprogrammable, multifunctional machine designed to manipulate materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices,
through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks." - Robotics Industries Association

"A robot is an automatic device that performs functions normally ascribed to humans or a machine in the form of a human." -
Webster's Dictionary

On the most basic level, human beings are made up of five major components:

 A body structure
 A muscle system to move the body structure
 A sensory system that receives information about the body and the surrounding environment
 A power source to activate the muscles and sensors
 A brain system that processes sensory information and tells the muscles what to do
Of course, we also have some intangible attributes, such as intelligence and morality, but on the sheer physical level, the list
above about covers it.

A robot is made up of the very same components. A typical robot has a movable physical structure, motor of some sort, a sensor
system, a power supply and a computer "brain" that controls all of these elements. Essentially, robots are man-made versions of
animal life -- they are machines that replicate human and animal behavior.

ROBOT COMPONENTS
CONTROLLER – it activates the robot actuators, which converts power into movement
MANIPULATOR – it is the robot arm
POWER SUPPLY - it drives the controller and actuators
END EFFECTOR – it is the end-of-arm tooling, or gripper. It is attached to the wrist of the robot arm for the purpose of loading,
unloading, transporting parts or performing an operation on a workpiece. Example of end effectors include grippers,
blowtorches, drills and spray painters

CLASSIFICATIONS OF ROBOTS
According to the configuration of the arm
CYLINDRICAL ROBOT - A robot whose work envelope is cylindrical in shape. The main arm moves up and down using
pneumatic cylinders, while the base moves in circular motion using a motor and gears. A wrist maybe attached to its main
arm for additional degrees of freedom.
RECTILINEAR ROBOT - A robot whose work envelope is rectangular in shape. The motion of this type of robot is along a
straight line using pneumatic cylinders, or stepper motors. The motion of rectilinear robots is limited.
It is used as machine loading and unloading, palletizing.
SPHERICAL ROBOT - A robot whose work envelope is spherical in shape. The base of a spherical robot moves in circular
motion (up to 210o), while its main arm moves up and down, and in and out (extension and retraction).
JOINTED SPHERICAL ROBOT - It is a special kind of spherical robot. It is also called as ARTICULATED ARM ROBOT.
One example is the SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robotic Arm) which has six axes therefore increases its
degrees of freedom.
It is used in welding, painting, laser cutting, water jet cutting.

According to the type of drive or actuators

ELECTRIC ROBOT - A robot that uses electric actuators such as dc or ac motors (dc motors are commonly used).
Advantages
- fast response
- high degree of accuracy, resolution and repeatability
- clean and quiet
- lower cost to purchase and operate
Disadvantages
- requires maintenance on dc motor’s brushes and commutators
- needs mechanical brakes to help hold the load
HYDRAULIC ROBOT - A robot that uses hydraulic (fluid) actuators such as hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors.
Advantages
- handles large and heavy loads
- provides holding strength
- safety
Disadvantages
- much maintenance is needed
- expensive to purchase and operate
- slow response
- messy when oil leaks

PNEUMATIC ROBOT - A robot that uses pneumatic (air) actuators such as pneumatic cylinder.
Advantages
- low cost to purchase and operate
- can be integrated in PLC
 Disadvantages
- low degree of accuracy
- low holding strength
- can’t handle large and heavy loads

According to type of control used

POINT-TO-POINT CONTROL - A control used by programming specific points or locations where the robot must move.
CONTINUOUS-PATH CONTROL - A control used where the robot must follow a specific path at all times. It is used in spray
painting, continuous cutting, and continuous welding.
XYZ CONTROL - A control that uses mathematical coordinates to pinpoint the location the robot must move.
POSITIVE-STOP CONTROL - A control used by pneumatic robots where pneumatic cylinders may extend and retract until it
finally reaches a stop.
Robots that use positive-stop control are also called bang-bang robots

DEGREE OF FREEDOM – it is the axis a robot has

The most common manufacturing robot is the robotic arm . A typical robotic arm is made up of seven metal
segments, joined by six joints. The computer controls the robot by rotating individual step motors connected to each
joint (some larger arms use hydraulics or pneumatics). Unlike ordinary motors, step motors move in exact increments
This allows the computer to move the arm very precisely, repeating exactly the same movement over and over again.
The robot uses motion sensors to make sure it moves just the right amount.

An industrial robot with six joints closely resembles a human arm -- it has the equivalent of a shoulder, an elbow and a
wrist. Typically, the shoulder is mounted to a stationary base structure rather than to a movable body. This type of robot
has six degrees of freedom , meaning it can pivot in six different ways. A human arm, by comparison, has seven
degrees of freedom.
DEGREES OF FREEDOM BY THE ROBOT’S MAIN BODY (LARGE AXES)
1. arm sweep
2. shoulder swivel
3. elbow extension

DEGREES OF FREEDOM BY THE ROBOT’S WRIST (FINE AXES)

1. pitch – up-and-down motion
2. yaw – side-to-side motion
3. roll – rotational motion

PLEASE STUDY THE FFG. TOPICS

"Laws of Robotics."
Autonomous robots
Homebrew Robots
Components
A robot generally consists of 5 basic components:

1. Controller

Every robot is connected to a computer controller, which regulates the components of the arm
and keeps them working together. The controller also allows the robot to be networked to other
systems, so that it may work together with other machines, processes, or robots. Almost all
robots are pre-programmed using "teaching" devices or offline software programs. In the future,
controllers with artificial intelligence (AI) could allow robots to think on their own, even
program themselves. This could make robots more self-reliant and independent.

2. Arm (or Manipulator)

The arm is the part of the robot that positions the end-effector and sensors to do their pre-
programmed business. Many are built to resemble human arms, and have shoulders, elbows,
wrists, even fingers. Each joint is said to give the robot 1 degree of freedom. A simple robot arm
with 3 degrees of freedom could move in 3 ways: up and down, left and right, forward and
backward. Most working robots today have 6 degrees of freedom to allow them to reach any
possible point in space within its work envelope. The human arm has 7.

3. Drive (or Actuators)

The links (the sections between the joints) are moved into their desired position by the drive.
Typically, a drive is powered by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, or electricity.

4. End-Effector

The end-effector could be thought of as the "hand" on the end of the robotic arm. There are many
possible end-effectors including a gripper, a vacuum pump, tweezers, scalpel, blowtorch, welder,
spray gun, or just about anything that helps it do its job. Some robots can change end-effectors,
and be reprogrammed for a different set of tasks.

5. Sensor

The sensor sends information, in the form of electronic signals back to the controller. Sensors
also give the robot controller information about its surroundings and lets it know the exact
position of the arm, or the state of the world around it. One of the more exciting areas of sensor
development is occurring in the field of computer vision and object recognition. Robot sensors
can detect infrared radiation to "see" in the dark.

Robot Classifications
Robots are usually characterized by the design of the mechanical system. Generally, there are five recognizable
robot configurations:

1. Cartesian
2. Cylindrical

3. Spherical

4. Jointed Arm

5. SCARA

Cartesian Coordinate Robots

CCRs are highly
configurable, rectilinear
robot systems which, in a
basic configuration, include
an X and Y axis. Three axis
CCRs, incorporating an X,
Y, and Z axis, are also
common for positioning
tools, such as dispensers,
cutters, drivers, and routers.
Each of the axis lengths are
selectable, with the ability
to attach different types of
Z-heads. Payloads and
speeds vary based on axis
length and support structures. CCRs are also typically very repeatable, have better inherent accuracy than a SCARA
or jointed arm, and perform 3D path-dependent motions with relative ease. However, the CCR’s key feature is its
configurability – the ability you have to configure and size the CCR to best meet your application needs.

Best of all, you pay only for the axes you really need! If two axes are required, you buy a 2-axis CCR and save. If
three axes, you buy a 3-axis CCR. If four axes are needed, you have the choice of using a SCARA or a CCR
system, which ever best meets your application needs. If odd configurations are required, then the flexibility of
CCR systems gives you many more possibilities to consider.

A gantry robot is a special type of Cartesian robot whose structure resembles a gantry. This structure is used to
minimize deflection along each axis. Many large robots are of this type. The X, Y, and Z coordinates of a gantry
robot can be derived using the same set of equations used for the Cartesian robot.
Cylindrical Coordinate Robots

A cylindrical robot has two linear axes and one rotary axis. The robot derives its name from the
operating envelope (the space in which a robot operates that is created by moving the axes from
limit to limit.)

The Z axis is located inside the base, resulting in a compact end-of-arm design that allows the
robot to "reach" into tight work envelopes without sacrificing speed or repeatability.

Spherical Coordinate Robots

A spherical robot has one linear axis and two rotary axes . Spherical robots are used in a variety of industrial tasks
such as welding and material handling.
Jointed Arm Robots
A Jointed Arm robot has three rotational axes connecting three rigid links
and a base. An Jointed Arm robot is frequently called an anthropomorphic
arm because it closely resembles a human arm. The first joint above the
base is referred to as the shoulder. The shoulder joint is connected to the
upper arm, which is connected at the elbow joint.

Jointed Arm robots are suitable for a wide variety of industrial tasks,
ranging from welding to assembly.

SCARA Robots

One style of robot that has recently become

quite popular is a combination of the
articulated arm and the cylindrical robot. This
robot has more than three axes and is called a
SCARA robot. It is used widely in electronic
assembly. The rotary axes are mounted
vertically rather than horizontally. This
configuration minimizes the robot's deflection
when it carries an object while moving at a
programmed speed.

The acronym SCARA stands for Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm, a particular design developed in the
late 1970's in the laboratory of Professor Hiroshi Makino of Yamanashi University, located in Kofu, Japan. The basic
configuration of a SCARA is a four degree-of-freedom robot with horizontal positioning accomplished by a
combined Theta 1 and Theta 2 motion, much like a shoulder and elbow held perfectly parallel to the ground.

SCARAs are know for their fast cycle times, excellent repeatability, good payload capacity and a large workspace,
shaped somewhat like a donut. SCARAs also feature sophisticated motion control with full programmability. With
its torso-based, one arm design, the SCARA integrates easily into most applications.

For flexible, high speed parts assembly and handling, consider a SCARA, one of the most useful and flexible
automation tools available.
Etymology
The word robotics was derived from the word robot, which was introduced to the public by
Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), which was published
in 1920.The word robot comes from the Slavic word (e.g.: Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak,
Polish, Macedonian, Ukrainian, archaic Czech) robota, which means labor. The play begins in a
factory that makes artificial people called robots, creatures who can be mistaken for humans –
similar to the modern ideas of androids. Karel Čapek himself did not coin the word. He wrote a
short letter in reference to an etymology in the Oxford English Dictionary in which he named his
brother Josef Čapek as its actual originator.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word robotics was first used in print by Isaac
Asimov, in his science fiction short story "Liar!", published in May 1941 in Astounding Science
Fiction. Asimov was unaware that he was coining the term; since the science and technology of
electrical devices is electronics, he assumed robotics already referred to the science and
technology of robots. In some of Asimov's other works, he states that the first use of the word
robotics was in his short story Runaround (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1942). However,
the original publication of "Liar!" predates that of "Runaround" by five months, so the former is
generally cited as the word's origin.

History of robotics
In 1927 the Maschinenmensch ("machine-human") gynoid humanoid robot (also called "Parody",
"Futura", "Robotrix", or the "Maria impersonator") was the first and perhaps the most
memorable depiction of a robot ever to appear on film was played by German actress Brigitte
Helm in Fritz Lang's film Metropolis.

In 1942 the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov formulated his Three Laws of Robotics.

In 1948 Norbert Wiener formulated the principles of cybernetics, the basis of practical robotics.

Fully autonomous robots only appeared in the second half of the 20th century. The first digitally
operated and programmable robot, the Unimate, was installed in 1961 to lift hot pieces of metal
from a die casting machine and stack them. Commercial and industrial robots are widespread
today and used to perform jobs more cheaply, or more accurately and reliably, than humans.
They are also employed in jobs which are too dirty, dangerous, or dull to be suitable for humans.
Robots are widely used in manufacturing, assembly, packing and packaging, transport, earth and
space exploration, surgery, weaponry, laboratory research, safety, and the mass production of
consumer and industrial goods.

Date Significance Robot Name Inventor

Third One of the earliest descriptions of automata Yan Shi

century appears in the Lie Zi text, on a much earlier
B.C. and encounter between King Mu of Zhou (1023–957
 BC) and a mechanical engineer known as Yan Shi,
an 'artificer'. The latter allegedly presented the king
earlier
with a life-size, human-shaped figure of his
mechanical handiwork.

Descriptions of more than 100 machines and

First Ctesibius, Philo of
automata, including a fire engine, a wind organ, a
century Byzantium, Heron
coin-operated machine, and a steam-powered
A.D. and of Alexandria, and
engine, in Pneumatica and Automata by Heron of
earlier others
Alexandria

c. 420 A wooden, steam propelled bird, which was able to Archytas of

B.C.E fly Tarentum

Robot band, hand-

Created early humanoid automata, programmable washing automaton,
1206 [9] Al-Jazari
automaton band automated moving
peacocks[10]

1495 Designs for a humanoid robot Mechanical knight Leonardo da Vinci

Mechanical duck that was able to eat, flap its Jacques de

1738 Digesting Duck
wings, and excrete Vaucanson

Nikola Tesla demonstrates first radio-controlled

1898 Teleautomaton Nikola Tesla
vessel.

First fictional automatons called "robots" appear in Rossum's Universal

1921 Karel Čapek
the play R.U.R. Robots

Humanoid robot exhibited at the 1939 and 1940 Westinghouse

1930s Elektro
World's Fairs Electric Corporation

William Grey
1948 Simple robots exhibiting biological behaviors Elsie and Elmer
Walter

First commercial robot, from the Unimation

1956 company founded by George Devol and Joseph Unimate George Devol
Engelberger, based on Devol's patents

1961 First installed industrial robot. Unimate George Devol

First industrial robot with six electromechanically

1973 Famulus KUKA Robot Group
driven axes

1974 The world’s first microcomputer controlled electric IRB 6 ABB Robot Group
 industrial robot, IRB 6 from ASEA, was delivered to
a small mechanical engineering company in
southern Sweden. The design of this robot had
been patented already 1972.

Programmable universal manipulation arm, a

1975 PUMA Victor Scheinman
Unimation product

Components
A. Power source

At present mostly (lead-acid) batteries are used as a power source. Many different types of
batteries can be used as a power source for robots. They range from lead acid batteries which are
safe and have relatively long shelf lives but are rather heavy to silver cadmium batteries that are
much smaller in volume and are currently much more expensive. Designing a battery powered
robot needs to take into account factors such as safety, cycle lifetime and weight. Generators,
often some type of internal combustion engine, can also be used. However, such designs are
often mechanically complex and need fuel, require heat dissipation and are relatively heavy. A
tether connecting the robot to a power supply would remove the power supply from the robot
entirely. This has the advantage of saving weight and space by moving all power generation and
storage components elsewhere. However, this design does come with the drawback of constantly
having a cable connected to the robot, which can be difficult to manage. Potential power sources
could be:

 pneumatic (compressed gases)

 hydraulics (liquids)

 flywheel energy storage

 organic garbage (through anaerobic digestion)

 faeces (human, animal); may be interesting in a military context as faeces of small combat
groups may be reused for the energy requirements of the robot assistant (see DEKA's project
Slingshot Stirling engine on how the system would operate)
 B. Actuators

A robotic leg powered by air muscles

Actuators are like the "muscles" of a robot, the parts which convert stored energy into
movement. By far the most popular actuators are electric motors that spin a wheel or gear, and
linear actuators that control industrial robots in factories. But there are some recent advances in
alternative types of actuators, powered by electricity, chemicals, or compressed air.

Electric motors

The vast majority of robots use electric motors, often brushed and brushless DC motors in
portable robots or AC motors in industrial robots and CNC machines. These motors are often
preferred in systems with lighter loads, and where the predominant form of motion is rotational.

Linear actuators

Various types of linear actuators move in and out instead of by spinning, and often have quicker
direction changes, particularly when very large forces are needed such as with industrial robotics.
They are typically powered by compressed air (pneumatic actuator) or an oil (hydraulic
actuator).

Series elastic actuators

A spring can be designed as part of the motor actuator, to allow improved force control. It has
been used in various robots, particularly walking humanoid robots.

Air muscles

Pneumatic artificial muscles, also known as air muscles, are special tubes that contract (typically
up to 40%) when air is forced inside them. They have been used for some robot applications.

Muscle wire

Muscle wire, also known as Shape Memory Alloy, Nitinol or Flexinol Wire, is a material that
contracts slightly (typically under 5%) when electricity runs through it. They have been used for
some small robot applications.

Electroactive polymers

EAPs or EPAMs are a new plastic material that can contract substantially (up to 380% activation
strain) from electricity, and have been used in facial muscles and arms of humanoid robots, and
to allow new robots to float, fly, swim or walk.

Piezo motors

Recent alternatives to DC motors are piezo motors or ultrasonic motors. These work on a
fundamentally different principle, whereby tiny piezoceramic elements, vibrating many
thousands of times per second, cause linear or rotary motion. There are different mechanisms of
operation; one type uses the vibration of the piezo elements to walk the motor in a circle or a
straight line. Another type uses the piezo elements to cause a nut to vibrate and drive a screw.
The advantages of these motors are nanometer resolution, speed, and available force for their
size. These motors are already available commercially, and being used on some robots.

Elastic nanotubes

Elastic nanotubes are a promising artificial muscle technology in early-stage experimental

development. The absence of defects in carbon nanotubes enables these filaments to deform
elastically by several percent, with energy storage levels of perhaps 10 J/cm3 for metal
nanotubes. Human biceps could be replaced with an 8 mm diameter wire of this material. Such
compact "muscle" might allow future robots to outrun and outjump humans.
 C. Sensors

Sensors allow robots to receive information about a certain measurement of the environment, or
internal components. This is essential for robots to perform their tasks, and act upon any changes
in the environment to calculate the appropriate response. They are used for various forms of
measurements, to give the robots warnings about safety or malfunctions, and to provide real time
information of the task it is performing.

Touch

Current robotic and prosthetic hands receive far less tactile information than the human hand.
Recent research has developed a tactile sensor array that mimics the mechanical properties and
touch receptors of human fingertips. The sensor array is constructed as a rigid core surrounded
by conductive fluid contained by an elastomeric skin. Electrodes are mounted on the surface of
the rigid core and are connected to an impedance-measuring device within the core. When the
artificial skin touches an object the fluid path around the electrodes is deformed, producing
impedance changes that map the forces received from the object. The researchers expect that an
important function of such artificial fingertips will be adjusting robotic grip on held objects.

Scientists from several European countries and Israel developed a prosthetic hand in 2009, called
SmartHand, which functions like a real one—allowing patients to write with it, type on a
keyboard, play piano and perform other fine movements. The prosthesis has sensors which
enable the patient to sense real feeling in its fingertips.

Vision

Computer vision is the science and technology of machines that see. As a scientific discipline,
computer vision is concerned with the theory behind artificial systems that extract information
from images. The image data can take many forms, such as video sequences and views from
cameras.

In most practical computer vision applications, the computers are pre-programmed to solve a
particular task, but methods based on learning are now becoming increasingly common.

Computer vision systems rely on image sensors which detect electromagnetic radiation which is
typically in the form of either visible light or infra-red light. The sensors are designed using
solid-state physics. The process by which light propagates and reflects off surfaces is explained
using optics. Sophisticated image sensors even require quantum mechanics to provide a complete
understanding of the image formation process. Robots can also be equipped with multiple vision
sensors to be better able to compute the sense of depth in the environment. Like human eyes,
robots' "eyes" must also be able to focus on a particular area of interest, and also adjust to
variations in light intensities.
There is a subfield within computer vision where artificial systems are designed to mimic the
processing and behavior of biological system, at different levels of complexity. Also, some of the
learning-based methods developed within computer vision have their background in biology.

Other sensing

Other common forms of sensing in robotics use LIDAR, RADAR and SONAR.

D. Manipulators

Robots need to manipulate objects; pick up, modify, destroy, or otherwise have an effect. Thus
the "hands" of a robot are often referred to as end effectors, while the "arm" is referred to as a
manipulator. Most robot arms have replaceable effectors, each allowing them to perform some
small range of tasks. Some have a fixed manipulator which cannot be replaced, while a few have
one very general purpose manipulator, for example a humanoid hand.

For the definitive guide to all forms of robot end-effectors, their design, and usage consult the
book "Robot Grippers".

Mechanical grippers

One of the most common effectors is the gripper. In its simplest manifestation it consists of just
two fingers which can open and close to pick up and let go of a range of small objects. Fingers
can for example be made of a chain with a metal wire run through it. Hands that resemble and
work more like a human hand include the Shadow Hand, the Robonaut hand, ... Hands that are of
a mid-level complexity include the Delft hand. Mechanical grippers can come in various types,
including friction and encompassing jaws. Friction jaws use all the force of the gripper to hold
the object in place using friction. Encompassing jaws cradle the object in place, using less
friction.
Vacuum grippers

Vacuum grippers are very simple astrictive devices, but can hold very large loads provided the
prehension surface is smooth enough to ensure suction.

Pick and place robots for electronic components and for large objects like car windscreens, often
use very simple vacuum grippers.