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IanSchuster
LE1310
June11,2014
Professor

ThispaperisaboutRobotics,itwillgointodepthonthehistory,theusesandthepurposeof
Robotics.Robotsareingeneralautonomousmanmademachinesthatuseacomputertodosomeform
ofwork.Inthebeginningtheywereusedtodotaskssuchthatwereunsafetohumanssuchashandling
highheatobjects.Machinesorrobotsarenowusedtodaytodomanytasks,theyareusedto
manufactureotherappliancesorobjects.Reasonsforthisisthatrobotsarefarmoreprecisethan
humans.Theycanbuildfasterandtheyneverneedbreaksotherthantheneedformaintenanceafter
certainamountoftime.
ThehistoryofroboticscomesasfarbackasthethirdcenturyB.C.Amechanicalengineer
madeahumanoidshapedobjectandpresentedittohisking.Intheyear1738arobotduckwasmade
byfrenchinventorJacquesDeVaucanson.Therobotduckhadtheseemingabilitytoeatgrain,
metabolizeandthendefecatefromthebody.Itneverreallydigestedfood,onlyappearedto.Many
yearslaterinthe1930sarobotcalledElektrowascreated.Elecktroconsistedofa7foothighsteel
framewithcogsthatallowedmovement.Therobotwasabletotalkandmoveonvoicecommand.He
waspresentedtotheworldinthe1939NewYorkWorldFair.
Robotsareusuallycreatedforatask.Whenyoudesignarobotyoustartwithaframeandthen
continuefromthere.Ifyouneedmobilityyouaddwheelsortreads.Fromthereyoucanaddany
assortmentoffeatures.Thesecanrangefromradiostomechanicalarmsthatcanbeusedtomanipulate
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theworldaroundit.Alloftheseextrafeaturescanbeaddedtoarobotifyoubuildaframetosupport
it.Thesefeaturescanallcommunicatewitheachotherthroughacomputer.Acomputerallowsallofthe
armsandlegsorradiostobecontrolledautonomouslythroughcommunication.Allthesewouldrun
throughamotherboard.Arobotisthesumofitspartsasshownbythisdiagramtotheleft.Thebeauty
ofbeingarobotisthatthese
partscanbeinterchanged.If
thefeaturenolongersuitsthe
task,itcanbeeasily
interchanged.
Robotscanbeusedfor
manydifferenttasks.The
majorityareusedinindustry,
thesecanrangefromwelding
toinstallingawindowinacarproductionline.Othertasksrobotsareinvolvedinisthemedicalfield.
Doctorscanbeinonelocationwhiletherobotisinanother.TheDoctorcanthenmanuallycontrolthe
robottowieldinstrumentsandperforma
surgerywithoutbeinginthesamegeographic
location.
Robotsarerunviacomputers,they
workinaseriesofways.Inawaytheyare
justcomputerswithdifferentpiecesandor
additionalpieces.Insteadofhavingadisc
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reader,theyhavearoboticarmthancanmanipulateobjectsoraradiothatthecomputercanuseto
communicatewithothermachinesorreceiveordersorsendthem.Adiagramdisplayedaboveisa
visualrepresentationofhowacomputerworksandcommunicatestofunction.PCsareageneral
purposetoolwithmanypartsJeffTyson
Computersarethegeneralbackbonetoarobot.Theyareanecessitytocreatingafunctional
machine.Inconclusionyoucouldsaythatrobotswillbepartofhumanhistoryforever.Theywillbe
usedinindustry,theywillalsoriseupinotherapplications.Theycouldsoonbearealliferepresentation
asBicentennialMan.

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WorksCited:
Tyson,J.HowPCsWork.
https://cluster2files.instructure.com/courses/259336/files/38165989/course%20files/Web%20Pages/H
ow%20the%20PC%20Works.htm?download=1&inline=1&sf_verifier=210dc540e0e0fb64d39cef944
4eb43f4&ts=1402801810&user_id=699530&verifier=IGhMKdacPfZ6rvTlE5hvgRpH7RAeuDCyx2
VC48Np

Black,A.CANARDDIGRATEURDEVAUCANSON.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/canarddigerateurdevaucansonvaucansonsdigestingduck

Jacobs,E.(2012).AmericasFirstCelebrityrobotismakingacomeback.
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/02/149850779/americasfirstcelebrityrobotisstagingacomeback?

(2012.)HistoryofIndustrialRobots.
http://www.ifr.org/uploads/media/History_of_Industrial_Robots_online_brochure_by_IFR_2012.p
df