WHAT IS A ROBOT?
The Webster defines a Robot as - An automatic apparatus or device that performs functions ordinarily ascribed to humans or operates with what appears to be almost human intelligence, which means Robot, is defined as a mechanical design that is capable of performing human tasks or behaving in a human-like manner
The Robotics Institute of America defines a robot as follows
A robot is a re-programmable multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks and used for Relief operations
HISTORY ABOUT THE ROBOTS & ITS EVALUATION
The term “robot” has its origins in a Czech word “robotnik” meaning worker or serf. It was first introduced by the playwright Karel Capek in a 1920 play. The robot theme was popularized by Isaac Asimov in science fiction in the late 1940’s and the early 1950’s, and subsequently by Hollywood movies.
Mechanization and automation can be traced back to the industrial revolution. The first example of complete mechanization dates back to the development of Jacquard looms (named after the silk weaver Joseph Maria Jacquard) used in the silk industry in France and Italy in the early 19th century. These looms could be mechanically reprogrammed to produce different patterns. However, these looms were simply machines. There is no notion of “intelligence” that is built into these looms. Further, the process of programming could be very tedious, particularly for complex patterns, and had to be done manually.
The next 100-150 years saw many innovative engineering solutions to pressing problems in industry. A rotary crane equipped with a motorized gripper to remove hot ingots from a furnace was developed by Babbit in 1892. Pollard invented a mechanical arm for spray painting in 1938. The first teleoperator or