Difference Between Robotics And Automation

It’s not surprising that the words automation and robotics are frequently used interchangeably. With the rapid advancement of these technologies in recent years, they have become popular topics in the industry, where these words are not always appropriately used.

However, if you’re a tech geek, you might be curious to know the differences between them. So here we’re for you,highlighting the difference between robotics and automation; and in brief about common automation technologies.

Automation And Robotics-Difference

The following definitions suggest the basic difference between automation and robotics:
Automation refers to the use of computer software, machinery, or other technology to do a task that would otherwise be completed by a human. There are many different kinds of automation, ranging from entirely mechanical to fully virtual, and from basic to sophisticated.

Robotics is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and science that encompasses mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and other disciplines. Robotics deals with the design, building, operation, and use of robots, as well as the computer systems that control them, provide sensory input, and analyse data. Robots are mechanical devices with motors, sensors, and controls. You programme them to execute physical activities (such as lifting, machine maintenance, painting, and so on), and they complete the tasks autonomously.

Explaining With Examples

The two fields- Robotics And Automation sometimes overlap, but they are not the same.

Robots aren’t used in all forms of automation, and not all robots are built for automated processes. Most robots are utilised for a specific purpose- particularly in industrial settings.The following are some examples that can highlight the differences between automation and robotics:

• When a consumer contacts a bank’s customer service department, a chatbot responds, seeks further information, and asks the user to provide feedback at the end of the conversation. This is automation without the use of robotics.
• On an assembly line of a car factory, a robot assembles a vehicle. This is an example of robotics-based automation.
• For elderly people who are lonely and have a limited budget, a company provides robot pets. This is what robotics without automation looks like.

Automation Types- IA And RPA

Industrial And Software Automation

If you hear the word “automation” it’s likely that the person is referring to industrial automation. The use of physical robots and specialized control systems to automate physical processes is known as industrial automation. An automobile manufacturing plant with a high level of autonomy is a good example of this.

When people discuss automation in general, however, they are typically talking about software or business automation. Software automation is the use of software to automate tasks that people perform on computers. Test automation, robotic process automation, Intelligent Automation, and many other branches of software automation exist.

Intelligent Automation And Robotic Process Automation

Intelligent process automation and robotic process automation are two of the most commonly used words when discussing software automation. They’re frequently used interchangeably, which isn’t totally correct. What is the difference?

RPA (robotic process automation) is a technology that allows software robots to replicate human activities using an application’s user interface (UI) without modifying systems or involving human interaction, and it has nothing to do with robotics. This method works well for automating rule-based operations that require the usage of structured digital data.

Intelligent process automation(IA) is a technology that uses RPA, BPM, analytics, and artificial intelligence(usually machine learning) to automate a company’s business operations . Unlike RPA, IA can automate complicated business processes that are judgment-based (rather than rule-based) and employ unstructured and non-digital data sources.

Basics Of Robotics

Robots are programmable machines that can perform a sequence of tasks independently or semi-autonomously. Sensors and actuators allow them to interact with the physical environment. They are more versatile than single-function devices because they can be reprogrammed. As a result, anything involving robots is referred to as robotics.

Robots are employed in industrial automation as a flexible approach to automate a physical operation or process. Collaborative robots are programmed to perform tasks in the same way that humans do. Traditional industrial robots are more efficient than humans at performing the work.

Although some robots are “autonomous” (i.e. they function without direct human control), they are not employed in automation processes. A toy line-following robot, for example, can follow a line drawn on the ground automatically. However, because it isn’t executing a specified activity, it isn’t considered “automation.” It would be automation if the line-following robot was carrying medicines around a hospital.

From smartphones to smart home devices and voice assistants, robot arms create the technology we use to automate our daily lives. Manufacturers, on the other hand, deal with robotics and automation on a daily basis since they create the technological gadgets that make our lives simpler.

If you consider how we automate our daily lives, the distinction between the terms robotics and automation becomes easier to understand : we automate our daily lives through smartphones and other devices. With the possible exception of robot vacuum cleaners, we have not yet utilized robots to automate our daily activities. Robots are not yet a part of our daily life, but automation is.