Robotics And Automation A Good Way example essay topic

Robotics and Automation A good way to define Robotics is a field in which robots, or automated machines, are devised and created to perform a variety of tasks. These tasks can range from industrial-strength cleaning services, to patrolling a nuclear power plant. There are many aspects involved in creating a robot. A great deal of physics, engineering, electronics, as well as general construction techniques must be known before attempting to build a robot. Robots can come in two different types: there is the drone type which is controlled by humans, and there is the artificially intelligent type, which runs from its own programming. There is a great amount of physics involved in robotics.

Forexample, physics is heavily involved when trying to create a robotto walk on the moon. A robot has to be specially designed to be able to function in that kind of environment. Physics helps people figure out what allowances need to be made for such things as the difference in gravity, the fact that space is a vacuum, the fact thatthe robot might fall over without any humans around to pick it back up, how the robot is going to generate power, as well as how the robot is going to be constructed so it can maneuver freely in that environment. Also, little things such as where the legs and arms should go, and how the weight should be distributed also need to be figured out, with physics. Another field which goes hand in hand with robotics is the field of artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence (or AI) deals with making computers think, and make decisions on their own. When coupled with robotics, an artificially intelligent robot put onthe moon would be able to walk around, and collect information which it feels is important for us humans to have. Another example would be an artificially intelligent enforcer robot, which could roam about, detect intruders, make a decision as to how dangerous they are, and take care of the situation. However, mos of this is a long way off, as demonstrated by what is known as the Turning Test. In 1950, Alan Turning made up a test to determine machine intelligence. The Turning Test goes like this: a human interrogator is in one room, and a computer and another human a rein another.

Each room has a terminal in it, through which the interrogator will converse with both the computer and the other human, one at a time. If the interrogator cannot tell which one heis talking to, then the computer is considered intelligent. In 1991, Hugh Loebner created the Loebner Prize. This contest allowed people to enter their intelligent programs, which would demonstrate their intelligence through conversations. The Loebnerprize would give $100,000 to the winner, however to this day noone has won it.

As mentioned before, moon-walking nuclear power plant roaming, and the enforcer robot are all practical applications ofrobotics. However, there really are no boundaries to what robots will be able to do. One example of a robot which exists now is the Dante II, a tethered walking robot, which explored the Mt. Spurrvolcano in July 1994. Dante II is able to descend down sheer crater walls in a rappelling-like manner, and his purpose is to gather and analyze high temperature gasses from the crater floor. In general, the purpose of the Dante II program is to demonstrate Robotic exploration of extreme terrains and environments.

Another project whose goal is to explore terrain is the Autonomous Helicopter Project. However, unlike the walking Dante II, this robot is a vision-guided robot helicopter which can autonomously carry out (certain) missions in any weather conditions and using only on-board intelligence and computer power. These missions include automatically taking off, flying toa designated area while avoiding obstacles, searching and locating objects of interest, visually lock on to objects and pursue them, sending back images to a ground station, and safely returning home and landing. This robot is in the conceptual stage however, but the projects implications are tremendous.

The creator of this project, the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon, have very interesting ideas as to how this robot can be used: search and rescue, surveillance, law enforcement, inspection, aerial mapping, and even cinematography. Today, we have robots which do a variety of things for us. This includes space exploration, nuclear plant patrolling and waste detection, as well as cleaning, and mining robots. The future ofrobotics looks very bright, with self-navigating vehicles (autonomous cars), replacement limbs, as well as artificial vision and hearing systems. As it was seen in the movies Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman these bionic replacements might actually become reality. You may wonder why the general direction of robotics has always been known to an extent, when there are so many independent research projects going on, each focusing on different things.

The answer to this question can be found easily by watching movies. For about 70 years, movie directors have predicted where the field of robotics was headed. The general thing that happens is that in the movies, robots are shown doing a certain tasks, and then later one someone actually develops a robotto do that task. In the 1927 movie, Metropolis, a robot was designed to do manual labor. Today, we have industrial robots, building our cars, painting our chairs, and cutting our fabrics. In the movie Forbidden Planet (1956), Robbie the Robot is used as a personal workman and servant.

We don t have these yet, but as mentioned before, we have the robots in the nuclear power plants, as well as cleaning robots, which acts as the same thing. In the third movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Hal was a robot in charge of a spaceship. Today, we have those space exploration robots. In the fourth movie, Logan's Run (1976), there is a computer controlling an entire city and all of its functions. As mentioned numerous times before, we have nuclear power plant robots running the plants during off hours. In the fifth movie, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), shows the two robots R 2 D 2 and 3 PO doing a variety of tasks not suited for humans.

Once again, this can be related to the nuclear power plant robots and mining robots, some of which actually do resemble R 2 D 2. In the final example, Aliens (1986), there was a perfect clone done of human. This hasn t been done yet, however somewhere down the line (probably within 100 years) this may be a possibility. What will happen in the upcoming years for robotics Noone really knows, however it has been noted that Bill Gates has no intention of conquering this industry. If he does, the future ofrobotics is very grim, with very little innovation, long delays between new models, and ultimately, he may assemble a personal army of robots to take over the world, which would definitely not be good. However, since he is not going to do that, the future of robotics is very promising.

Numerous thing have been mentioned of what I envision happening in the future but here is a summary: self-driving cars, personal robots, enforcer robots, soldier robots to fight our wars, helicopter robots, toy robots (similar to what we have now), replacement limbs, eyes, ears, which get more into the mechanical side of robotics. Whatever the case it will be interesting to watch this evolution continue to grow. Automation can be defined as a system of manufacture designed to extend the capacity of machines to perform certain tasks formerly done by humans, and to control sequences of operations without human intervention. Automation has also been used to describe non manufacturing systems in which programmed or automatic devices can operate independently or nearly independently of human control. In the fields of communications, aviation, astronautics, for example, such devices as automatic telephone switching equipment, automatic pilots, and automated guidance and control systems are used to perform various operations much faster or better than humans could accomplish.

Elements of Automation Automated manufacture arose out of the close relationship of such economic forces and technical innovations as the division of labor, power transfer and mechanization of the factory, and the development of transfer machines and feedback systems. The division of labor was formed in the latter half of the 18th century. The simplification of work that was made from the formation made it possible to design and build machines that duplicated the motions of the worker. As the technology of power transfer evolved, these specialized machines were motorized and their production efficiency was improved. The development of power technology also gave rise to the factory system of production, because all workers and machines had to be located near the power source.

The transfer machine is a device used to move a workpiece from one specialized machine tool to another, in such a manner auto properly position the workpiece for the next machine operation. Industrial robots originally designed only to perform simple tasks in environments dangerous to human workers, are now extremely skillful and are being used to transfer, handle, and position both light and heavy workpieces, thus performing all the functions of transfer machine. In actual practice, a number of separate machines are integrated into what may be thought of as one large machine. In the 1920's the auto industry combined these concepts in toan integrated system of production. The goal of this assembly-line system was to make automobiles available to people who previously could not afford them. This method of production was adopted by most automobile manufacturers and rapidly became known as Detroit automation.

Despite recent advances, it is this system of production that most people think of as automation. The Feedback Principle The feedback principle is essential to all automatic-control mechanisms, which enables a designer to endow a machine withthe capacity for self-correction. A feedback loop is a mechanical, pneumatic, or electronic device that senses or measures a physical quantity such as position, temperature, size, or speed, compares it with a p reestablished standard, and takes whatever preprogrammed action is necessary to maintain the measured quantity within the limits of the acceptable standard. In manufacturing and production, feedback loops require that acceptable limits or tolerances be established for the process to be performed; that these physical characteristics be measured and compared with the set of limits; and, finally, that the feedback system be capable of correcting the process so that the measured items comply with the standard. Through feedback devices, machines can start, stop, speed up, slow down, count, inspect, test, compare, and measure. These operations are commonly applied toa wide variety of production operations that can include milling, boring, bottling, and refining.

Computer Use The invention of the computer has simplified the use of feedback loops in manufacturing processes. Computers and feedback loops have promoted the development of numerically controlled machines and machining centers. More recently, the introduction of microprocessors and computer combinations have made possible the development of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacture technology. When using these systems a designer draws a part and indicates its dimensions with the aid of a special light pen on atelevisionlike cathode-ray tube computer display screen.

After the sketch has been completed to the satisfaction of the designer, the computer automatically generates a magnetic or punched tape that directs a machining center in machining the part. Another development that has further increase the use of automation is that of flexible manufacturing systems. FMS extends automation to companies in which small production runs do not make full automation economically possible. A computers used to monitor and govern the entire operation of the factory, from scheduling each step of production to keeping track of parts inventories and tool use. Automation has also had an influence on areas of the economy other than manufacturing. Small computers are used in systems called word processors, which are rapidly becoming standard part of the modern office.

This technology combines small computer with a cathode-ray display screen, a typewriter keyboard, and a printer. It is used to edit texts, to type form letters tailored to the recipient and to manipulate mailing lists and other data. The system is capable of performing many other tasks that increase office productivity. Automation in Industry Many industries are highly automated or use automation technology in some part of their operation. In communications and especially in the telephone industry, dialing, transmission, and billing are all done automatically. Railroads too are controlled by automatic signaling devices, which have sensors that detect cars passing a particular point.

In this way the movement and location of trains can be monitored. Not all industries require the same degree of automation. Agriculture, sales, and some service industries are difficult to automate. The agriculture industry may become more mechanized, especially in the processing and packaging of foods; however, inm any service industries such as supermarkets, for example, a checkout counter may be automated and the shelves or supply bins must still be stocked by hand. Similarly, doctors may consult computer to assist in diagnosis, but they must make the final decision and prescribe therapy. The concept of automation is evolving rapidly, partly because the applications of automation techniques vary both within a plant or industry and also between industries.

The oil and chemical industries, for example, have developed the continuous-flow method of production, owing to the nature of the raw materials used. In a refinery, crude oil enters at one point and flows continuously through pipes in cracking, distillation, and reaction devices as it is being processed into such products as gasoline and fuel oil. An array of automatic-control devices governed by microprocessors and coordinated by a central computer is used to control valves, heaters, and other equipment, thereby regulating both the flow and reaction rates. In the steel, beverage, and canned food industries, on the other hand, some of the products are produced in batches. Forexample, a steel furnace is charged (loaded with the ingredients), brought up to heat, and a batch of steel ingots produced.

In this phase very little automation is evident. These ingots, however, may then be processed automatically into sheet or structural shapes by being squeezed through a series of rollers until the desired shape is achieved. The automobile and other consumer product industries use the mass production techniques of step-by-step manufacture and assembly. This technique approximates the continuous-flow concept but involves transfer machines; thus, from the point of view of the auto industry, transfer machines are essential to the definition of automation. Each of these industries uses automated machines in all orp art of its manufacturing processes. As a result, each industry hasa concept of automation that fits its particular production needs.

More examples can be found in almost every phase of commerce. The widespread use of automation and its influence on daily life provides the basis for the concern expressed by many about the influence of automation on society and the individual. Automation and Society Automation has made a major contribution toward increases in both free time and real wages enjoyed by most workers in industrialized nations. Automation has greatly increased production and lowered costs, thereby making automobiles, refrigerators, televisions, telephones, and other goods available to more people.

It has allowed production and wages to increase, an dat the same time the work week has decreased in most Western countries from 60 to 40 hours. Employment Not all the results of automation have been positive, however. Some commentators argue that automation has caused overproduction and waste, that it has created alienation among workers, and that it generates unemployment. Of these issues, the relationship between automation and unemployment has received the most attention. Employers and some economists argue that automation has little if any effect on unemployment-that workers are displaced rather than dismissed and are usually employed in another position within the same company or in the same positional another company that has not automated. Some claim that automation generates more jobs than it displaces.

They point out that although some laborers may become unemployed, the industry producing the automated machinery generates more jobs than were eliminated. The computer industry is often cited to illustrate this claim. Business executives would agree that although the computer has replaced many workers, the industry itself has generated more jobs in the manufacturing, sales, and maintenance of computers than the device has eliminated. On the other hand, some labor leaders and economists argue that automation causes unemployment and, if left unchecked, will breed a vast army of unemployed that could disrupt the entire economy. They contend that growth in government-generated jobs and in service industries has absorbed those who became unemployed due to automation, and that as soon as these areas become saturated or the programs reduced, the true relationship between automation and unemployment will become known.

Automation and the Individual The effect of automation on the individual has been more drastic. The worker is either displaced or unemployed. Workers who remain must operate or maintain technologically advanced machines, and they may also be required to monitor more of the plant operation and to make on-the-spot decisions. Thus, the education and experience levels of these workers are considerably above those of the workers who were displaced. Many researchers have described the effect that Detroit automation has on the individual worker as one of alienation. Excessive absenteeism, poor workmanship, and problems of alcoholism, drug addiction, and sabotage of the production lines are well-documented symptoms of this alienation.

Many studies have been made since the 1930's, and all conclude that much of the alienation is due to the workers' feelings of being controlled bythe machine (because workers must keep pace with the assembly line), boredom caused by repetitious work, and the unchallenging nature of work that requires only a minimum of skill. The number of workers in more automated industries, especially those using continuous flow processes, tends to be small, and the capital investment in equipment per worker is high. The most dramatic difference between these industries and those using Detroit automation is the reduction in the number of semiskilled workers. It would appear then that automation has little use for unskilled or semiskilled workers, their skills being the most easily replaced by automated devices. The labor force needed in an automated plant consists primarily of such skilled workers as maintenance engineers, electricians, and toolmakers, all of whom are necessary to keep the automated machinery in good operating order.

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