It’s one of the various computer technologies branches that in the make and development of robots. The automation of the machines covers human beings in the dangerous environments or the manufacturing processes where the humans are prone to risk. They perform their activities well and have similar relations with humans in behaviors and the appearances. Robotics uses artificial intelligence and is widely used to perform high precision jobs in the companies. The paper addresses various advantages and disadvantages related to robotics.
Background Description
The history of robotics dates back in the 20th century. The term robot was defined by Czech playwright Karl Capek in year 1921 through his play that based on the concept of robotics. Moreover, the word robotics was introduced by author Asimov through the fiction book that was published in the year 1950. There are several laws of robotics i.e. they suggest that human being should not be hurt. In addition to that, the robot should obey the commands given by human beings unless where the laws conflict with the first. Lastly, it must protect its existence provided such protection does not conflict with the first or second law (Siciliano & Khatib 2008).
Types of Robots
There are various types of robots which include; rolling, walking, stationary, autonomous, remote controlled, mobile, and virtual robots. Mobile robots can move freely and are used to search areas where people can’t reach or when the task is dangerous to human beings. A good example is the mass Explorer that is designed to roam the Mars surface. Rolling Robots have the wheels to move all over the places and are also used to search around. They perform their job well in the flat areas compared to other areas. They are designed to meet the terrain requirements and the condition of the areas they operate. To keep their balance, they have six legs or more. When they lift one or more legs, they are still able to keep their balance. The stationary robots are used to perform tasks without moving even an inch. The repetitive tasks are suitable for the robots because it never gets tired and will perform the duty day and night without complaining based on its programming.
The autonomous robots have brains to perform their tasks. They run a program that enables them to decide what action to partake depending on their environment. similarly, robots tend to adapt to new experiences. The robots are also designed with walking ability to ensure they are active. In comparison with human, the robots have less brain ability and memory. In addition, their intelligence level is lower than that of humans. Difficult and dangerous can be performed even when human beings are near. The virtual robots are programs inside a computer and are used to simulate a real robot or perform a repetitive task. The internet has countless robots that crawl from one site to another. They gather information and transmit to the internet resource. A BEAM robot is a choice of people who have a robot as their hobbies (Kuttan, 2007).
Merits of Robotics
There are various advantages and disadvantages of robotics. There is the increase in production. They have the ability to work continuously without rest compared to the human labor where the breaks and vacation are essential. Thus, production levels are increased besides the profits. Additionally, they partake boring and recurring work. When the tasks are monotonous, there is a tendency of an increased level in the number of accidents happening in the production state. The utilization of robots has eliminated boredom in production. Moreover, robots ensure the safety and health of workers. The robots can work in all environments and handle more dangerous operations since they are well programmed. Thus, the safety and health of workers protected as well as expenses.
On the other hand, the quality of production by the robots is very high compared to that of human beings. Tasks are handled diligently to ensure quality products are developed, and in the long run, the business becomes valuable. However, the robots can also be used in lifting and moving of the heavy objects. In areas where humans don’t have the strength to do such tasks, they are well applicable. For example, they can be used in the production or transportation of materials from one place to another in the factories (Bekey, 2008). The machines undertake their tasks in any unfavorable hours where the humans need to rest or weather conditions are affecting the human beings. Robotics also aid in surgery. Their assistance is beneficial in performing lengthy microsurgical procedures. The arm of a robot is used as the surgical tool holder being guided all times by the surgeon to increases its safety. In addition to that, the costs of employing more employees to carry out various tasks are reduced. The robots can perform a lot of tasks that so many employees can do. In the factories where the packaging is not automated, there is need to encourage the use of robots to solve the packaging problems. (Siciliano & Khatib 2008).
Demerits of Robotics
Robotics has various disadvantages even though they are helpful to the humans. They lack the capability to respond to emergencies unless the response is included in the system. The safety measures must be included to ensure the machines do not injure the people working with them. On the other hand, they lead to unemployment as they replace the human labor. When the company owns a robot, they are forced to lower the number of workers. It increases the rate of unemployment. The robot replaces a lot of skilled labor and hence they have to find other jobs to cater for their needs. The robotics is very costly due to the initial costs of acquiring them. Their installation costs are very high and need clear and precise (RSSC, Whyte, Roy & Abeel, 2012). In order for better delivery, the users of the machine must undergo a thorough training. Computer experts program the robotics to undertake the purported purpose. Lack of proper programming in the systems running the robot can lead to injuries to the users. In addition, the use of robots affects the economy of the country. More expenditure is invested in the research of technology. The robotic sector must come up with ideas to build the robots. Through their now and then experiments a lot of cash is used to meet their needs. Before the success of a certain robot technology, the economy may depreciate as the country is focused on the robotics (Kuttan, 2007). As the world is growing the need for robotics is essential bearing in mind they also got the adverse effects on the human beings and the environment at large.
References
Bekey, G. A. (2008). Robotics: State of the art and future challenges. London: Imperial College Press.
Kuttan, A. (2007). Robotics. New Delhi: I. K. International Publishing House.
Robotics: Science and Systems Conference, Durrant-Whyte, H. F., Roy, N., & Abbeel, P. (2012).Robotics: Science and systems VII. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Siciliano, B., & Khatib, O. (2008). Springer handbook of robotics. Berlin: Springer.