A History of Robotics
Robotics is not a new concept. In fact, history dates robotics back to the industrial revolution when the assembly line was introduced as a way increase productivity in factories (Adams Becker, Freeman, Giesinger Hall, Cummins & Yuhnke, 2016). General Motors was the first to incorporate robotics with the Unimate (Hockstein, Gourin, Faust & Terris, 2007). . In 1966, advancements in technology resulted with the Shakey, a mobile robot that can visually interpret the environment. Shakey had a TV camera, a triangulating range finder, and sensors. As technology progressed, in 1981, the Canadarm was flown into space. This device was created to repair satellites and telescopes (Doetsch, 2005). It essentially became the "right arm" for space shallots (NASA, 2017). Then, in 1989, robots learnt to walk. By 1996, this extended into climbing stairs and carrying items of significant weight. |
The Unimate in action on the assembly line circa 1969
(Robotic Industries Association, 2017). The Canada Arm on a shuttle mission in 1981. (NASA, 1981)
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Bomb disposal robot in action (Allison, 2016)
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Today, robotics is widely seen in industries such as mining and the military, both improving industrial operations and completing unsafe tasks (Queen's University, 2015). With advances in technology, robots today can see better, think faster, adapt to changing situations, and work with a gentler touch (Miremadi, Narayanan, Sellschop & Tilley, 2015).
. Robots are now safe enough for people and robots to work side by side, complementing each other’s strengths. As well, robots can now detect the proximity, and adapt speed, force, and range of motion to prevent hazards, making it far easier for robots to prepare tasks (Miremadi et al., 2015). |