3.3 ROBOTICS 66 Do you know what LiDAR is? They are usually equipped with pressure, proximity and tactile sensors and vision systems. alignment: allineamento broadly speaking: in generale cleanliness: pulizia crawler: con cingoli feature: caratteristica to overlap: sovrapporsi to oversee: supervisionare wheeled: con ruote WHAT IS A ROBOT? Robotics Robotics is a branch of engineering that produces machines, called robots, that replicate or substitute human actions. This field overlaps with Electronics, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mechatronics, Nanotechnology and Bioengineering. Definition of a robot A robot is a programmable machine that can complete a task with different levels of autonomy, varying from human-controlled robots to fullyautonomous robots. The term robot comes from a Czech word, robota, meaning forced labour : most robots are designed for heavy, repetitive, sometimes difficult, dangerous manufacturing works. They are employed when requirements of speed, precision, and cleanliness exceed what man can accomplish. That s why industrial robots are increasingly used in a variety of industries and applications. Fundamental characteristics A robot must have some essential features: Sensing: sensors such as light, contact, proximity, pressure, limit, infrared, chemical, taste and hearing sensors, radar and LiDAR are fundamental for a robot to sense its surroundings and perform its task; Movement: a robot needs to be able to move either some of its parts or around its environment; Intelligence: programming is a primary feature. A series of coded commands and instructions give the robot the ability to know when and how to carry out a task. Generations of robots Engineers and scientists have analysed the evolution of robots, marking progress according to generations, and, broadly speaking: a first-generation robot is a simple mechanical arm with the ability to make precise motions at high speed, many times, for a long time. It can work in groups if the actions are synchronised, but must constantly be supervised because they can get out of alignment; a second-generation robot, which came into common use during the 1980s, is equipped with sensors ; they can stay synchronised with each other without having to be constantly overseen by an operator; a third-generation robot involves smart robot technology: they are autonomous robots which can work on their own and are capable of learning and adapting to the environment; a fourth-generation robot is considered the robot of the future, but is still under research. These robots are called androids or humanoids and have human features that mimic human actions and functions. 144 Mechatronics MechPower.indb 144 30/01/24 17:08