ROBOTICS - AN OVERVIEW

A robot is automatically guided
machine which is able to do tasks
on its own…
Another common characteristic is
that by its appearance or
movements, a robot often
conveys a sense that it has intent
or agency of its own. The word robot can refer to both physical robots
and virtual software agents, but the latter are usually
referred to as bots.There is no consensus on which machines qualify as
robots, but there is general agreement among
experts and the public that robots tend to do some
or all of the following: move around, operate a
mechanical limb, sense and manipulate their
environment, and exhibit intelligent behavior,
especially behavior which mimics humans or other
animals.The word robot was introduced to the
public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in
his play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal
Robots), published in1920.[15] The
play begins in a factory that makes
artificial people called robots, but
they are closer to the modern ideas
of androids, creatures who can be
mistaken for humans. They can plainly
think for themselves, though they
seem happy to serve. At issue is
whether the robots are
being exploited and the
consequences of their treatment. The word robota means literally "work",
"labor" or "serf labor", and figuratively
"drudgery" or "hard work" in Czech and
many Slavic languages. The ward robotics, used to describe this field
of study, was coined by the science fiction.As robots have become more
advanced and sophisticated,
experts and academics have
increasingly explored the
questions of what ethics might
govern robots' behavior, and
whether robots might be able to
claim any kind of social, cultural,
ethical or legal rights.One scientific team has said that it is possible
that a robot brain will exist by 2019. Others predict robot intelligence
breakthroughs by 2050.Recent advances have made robotic behavior
more sophisticated.Various techniques have emerged to develop the science of
robotics and robots. One method is Evolutionary robotics, in
which a number of differing robots are submitted to tests. Those which perform best are used as a model to create a subsequent "generation" of robots. Another method
is Developmental robotics, which tracks changes and
development within a single in the areas of problem-solving
and other functions.Japan hopes to have full-scale
commercialization of service
robots by 2025. Much technological research in
Japan is led by Japanese
government agencies, particularly
the Trade Ministry.