Robotics
Robotics enables physical action: moving, transporting, assembling, inspecting or handling objects. It is particularly useful for repetitive, hazardous or precision tasks when the operating space and safety limits are well defined.
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When it emerged
Industrial robots worked in factories before today's AI existed. In 1961, a Unimate was installed on a General Motors production line to handle hot parts. From 1966 to 1972, the Shakey project combined sensors and planning to act in a controlled environment. These mark different steps: programmed repetition and perception-based autonomy.
What it is
Combines sensors, perception, planning, control and actuators to act in the physical world. AI can help a robot adapt its actions when the environment changes.
How it works
A robot senses its surroundings, estimates its position, chooses an action and drives motors or tools. Control corrects deviations while planning organizes steps toward a goal. Computer vision and machine learning can improve perception, but a robot may also work with fixed paths and rules.
What it is for
Robotics enables physical action: moving, transporting, assembling, inspecting or handling objects. It is particularly useful for repetitive, hazardous or precision tasks when the operating space and safety limits are well defined.
Where it is used
Assembly arms, mobile warehouse robots, inspection equipment and some assistive devices are examples. A stockroom robot may detect a blocked aisle, update its map and choose another route before continuing.
Limits and safeguards
Not every robot uses machine learning; fixed repetitive movements are also automation. Autonomy does not mean unlimited independence. Sensors can fail, objects move, and a decision that works in simulation may be unsafe in the physical world. Testing, emergency stops, supervision and bounded operating areas remain essential.