The 5 Primary Areas of Robotics
As the area of robotics becomes even more sophisticated, an increasing number of professionals are needed to build, develop, and maintain robots and robotic systems. Unsurprisingly, the complexity of these devices and systems has given rise to five specific fields of robotics:
- Operator interface
- Mobility or locomotion
- Manipulators & Effectors
- Programming
- Sensing & Perception
Because developing today’s most advanced robotic systems is a challenging task, people entrusted with its design, programming, and maintenance frequently want to specialize in a certain area of expertise. This article will go deeper into those fields, which have been enlisted above.
1. Operator Interface
A robot is only as effective as its capacity to communicate successfully with a human controller. The operator interface, also known as a Human Robot Interface, is the medium through which the user and the robot communicate. It is, more particularly, the mechanism through which a human operator can provide pre-programmed instructions to a robot.
A simple example of Human Robot Interaction (HRI) is a game controller. It enables a player to send a series of orders to the system, which are subsequently carried out in the game.
An industrial touchscreen computer on a piece of equipment or in a centralised control room is also a type of HRI in manufacturing. The operator can give commands to the conveyor or another machine on the production line to carry out operations.
The design of HRI devices must be done with considerable attention. In order to accomplish tasks properly and efficiently, they must be simple to use and allow human operators to interact successfully with the robot.
2. Mobility or Locomotion
A robot must be able to move around in its environment in order to perform a task. In robotics, this movement is known as robot locomotion.
Locomotion of robots may be achieved by a variety of methods. Some robots, such as those used on production lines or those based on human anatomy, imitate human movement. Propellers and other propulsion systems are used by flying robots and drones. Some other robots, such as the Mars rover, rely on wheels to move about.
In short, the environment in which a robot will be employed frequently influences how the engineer designs the mobility system.
3. Manipulators and Effectors
To be useful, a robot must be able to interact with its surroundings; this is where manipulators and effectors come into the picture. These are the elements of the robot that allow it to pick up and move objects, as well as manipulate items that are not part of the system. In order to perform a task, human-like robots will need appendages and digits that function similarly to human hands.
Manipulators and effectors are more often represented in industrial context by pincers, claws, or pushers, which are all particularly adapted to move large pieces of equipment or materials.
4. Programming
Programming is essentially the language used by the operator to communicate with the robot. Originally, any action that a robot was expected to execute had to be programmed. These days, improved programming allows robotic systems to learn and adapt to changes in their surroundings, which is truly an engineering marvel.
In general, instructions can be given to the robot in real time, or the robot can be programmed to complete a set of tasks in sequence independently. Each robot may be programmed using one of over a thousand different programming languages, regardless of how the instructions are provided.
5. Sensing and Perception
Sensors are used by robots to collect information. This data informs the robot about the physical space it occupies, where it has to move, and whether or not any obstructions are in its way. Sensors also collect data to assist the robot in determining how to react to the objects it may encounter on its way.
To guarantee that the appropriate judgments are made, the suitable sensor must be chosen for each robot’s unique application.
Robots may be used in a variety of applications ranging from medicine to engineering and from space exploration to home care. So far, we’ve covered the five major fields of robotics. There are also some additional fields to explore for dealing with robots. To construct a fully working robot, you must take all of them into account.
However, the construction and programming of robots vary depending on the field where the robot will be utilized. Proper integration of all the components guarantees optimum performance and protects the robot from malfunction. Robotics has a bright future, therefore now is the time to get involved with it.
