Intresting facts about Robots

Interesting facts about robots

     We’re fascinated with robots because they are reflections of ourselves” 

                                                                                            —Ken Goldberg

A robot is a machine which is designed to carry out one or more tasks rapidly and precisely. It can be controlled by remote by a human operator, but there are many different robots for different tasks. Today when we think about robots they tend to picture automated people that are capable of independent movement, which is operated either by a virtual person or by mechanical means.

Few robots are built to appear and act so similar to humans that appear to have their own intelligence. Robots in today’s world can perform dangerous jobs that would be too risky for humans, such as disarming a bomb or travelling where humans cannot.

That’s the dictionary definition.

But we all know that when it comes to robots, their ability to carry out tasks quickly isn’t exactly what fascinates us. In Movies, books, and popular culture, in general, don’t tend to focus on the speed and perfection of robots. What we’re interested in, more than anything, is the ways that they’re almost like us… while still being entirely different. We’re interested in their mechanical approximations of human behaviour.

So as we all must continue to wait and watch while more of human-like robots are invented everyday…and here are some facts about them:

Robots Facts:

1. Origins

The word “robot” comes from the Czech word robota, which means “forced labour.” It originally referred to peasants, who were obligated to work for their lords under the Feudal system. now, the term is used to describe any man-made machine that can perform work and other human tasks. 

 The world-famous artist Leonardo da Vinci surprisingly gave a contribution as an inventor who designed a mechanical knight who was humanoid structure. Its entire body has armour covering with a sword in one of his hand, and the purpose of it was to serve in the defence.

2. Human Resemblance

The terms “android” and “robot” tend to be used somewhat interchangeably, but they actually have very distinct meanings.

Elektro was the first humanoid robot. It was built in 1939 by Westinghouse. It was seven feet tall and had a vocabulary of 700 words.

A robot that looks like a human is called an android

3. Accidental Death

The first known case of anyone being killed by a robot occurred in 1979, Robert Williams was an American factory worker who was the first known human to be killed by a robot. While working at the Ford Motor Company Flat Rock Casting Plant, Williams was killed by an industrial robot arm on Jan 25 1979 and on 1981 when a robotic arm crushed a Japanese Kawasaki factory worker. The worker’s death was ruled an accident.

 4. Future War

In 2014, US Marines brought a robot deep into the Hawaiian jungle. The LS3 (Legged Support System) robot walks on four legs, carries 400 pounds, and moves across terrain like a mechanical mule. Future action may come with robotic horses, which can be replaced by a real horse in battle.

5. Nanobots

The smallest robot is called a nanobot. It is less than one-thousandth of a millimetre.

A Nano-robot is a microscopic robot designed to fit into extremely small spaces to perform a function. The hope is that nanobots can eventually be placed in the blood stream to perform delicate surgical procedures that are too difficult for standard surgery.

5. Robot Law

In 1942, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov introduced the three laws of robotics that governed the behaviour of robots. The laws dictated that robots may not injure human beings, must obey human beings, and must protect their own existence unless it would violate the first or second law.

6. Einstein Robot

The sophisticated Einstein robot has 31 artificial muscles, all individually programmed to enable it to make facial expressions. The robot is now able to learn expressions on its own, and it recently taught itself to smile and frown.

7. A robot has been created that uses bacteria-filled fuel cells. The robot is capable of producing electricity from dead flies to power its battery. It can also use rotten apples to create fuel.

8. A robot vacuum cleaner was invented that is capable of sensing its environment and cleaning the floor without human help to move the device.

9. Star Wars the movie franchise made robots even more popular in the imagination of people with characters such as R2-D2 and C-3PO.

10. Work is underway to develop a micro robot that will be capable of performing a biopsy of a patient from the inside of that patient. It is being built to swim similar to the way E. coli bacteria moves.

-PUBLISHED BY DEEPIKA LUCAS