Robots have made life easier by running human errands like delivering drugs and gathering automobiles.
So, they have improved safety and productivity in several industries. It’s not easy to fully explain robots and their categories.
Each of them comes with different characteristics and purposes. This article discusses the different types of robots.
But before diving into that, what is robotics?
What is Robotics?
Robotics is an area of computer science and engineering. It involves studying robot design, manufacture, operation, and use.
Robotics aims to create devices that can support and help humans, and engineering courses have a lot to do with robotics.
We can use different types of robots in various scenarios and objectives. But many are now used in hazardous areas where humans cannot live.
Robots can take on any shape, but some look like people. The reason is that the manufacturers sometimes want to replace humans with robots.
So, these robots try to perform human activities like speaking, walking, and more. Some robots need operator input to operate, while others are self-contained.
The idea of making self-contained robots extends back to classical times. However, studies into their functionality did not take off until the twentieth century.
Throughout history, many researchers have claimed that robots will be able to act like humans someday.
Different Types of Robots
1. Pre-Programmed Robots
Pre-programmed robots do simple, repetitive tasks in a controlled setting. They have to know what they need to do ahead of time. Then, they follow the instructions.
They cannot change their conduct while at work, and no human is in charge of their acts.
The Unimate was the first contemporary programmable robot.
In 1961, General Motors deployed the first robot in a facility to move hot metal components.
A mechanical arm in an automotive assembly line is an example of a pre-programmed robot.
The arm has only one duty: inserting a part into the engine, aiming to do better than a human.
2. Autonomous Robots
Autonomous robots are the types of robots that don’t need human supervision.
These robots are usually made to do jobs in places where there isn’t much room for people to watch them. W. Grey Walter made these robots in the late 1940s, and they were the first robots to be able to act on their own.
There have been a lot of robots in history. But these robots were the first to think in the same way that biological brains do.
In the past, people used space probes to look at the sky. But self-driving vacuum cleaners and cars are two recent examples.
We can also call them industrial robot arms that work on assembly lines inside factories. However, their autonomy is limited because they can’t move in an organized environment.
3. Humanoid Robots
Humanoid robots refer to human-like robots that do essential human activities. The idea of a humanoid robot came from many different cultures worldwide.
People have been talking about humanoid automata since the 4th century BCE in Greek mythologies and other sources.
They later built humanoid robots in Italy, Japan, and France in the Middle East. They add value by automating duties to save money and increase productivity.
Also, they use many of the same technology components as AMRs to sense, plan, and act while performing activities.
4. Augmenting Robots
Augmenting robots are the most useful type of robots. These robots are in charge of enhancing a person’s existing abilities.
They can also replace those that have been lost. It has become more popular in the medical field because of the high demand for people.
With the help of these augmenting robots, disabilities will no longer be a barrier to humanity.
5. Teleoperated Robots
Teleoperated robots are the last on our list of the different types of robots. People control these robots over a wireless network from a safe distance.
The reason is that they function in distant places. Examples of teleoperated robots are submarines.
People used them to fix undersea pipe breaches during the BP oil spills.
