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How Robotics Is Helping the 21st Century Man

Posted On : Dec-18-2009 | seen (597) times | Article Word Count : 597 |

For so long the applied science of computers and electro-mechanical engineering has ushered in robotics to vastly improve mass production in just about any complex machinery on earth.
For so long the applied science of computers and electro-mechanical engineering has ushered in robotics to vastly improve mass production in just about any complex machinery on earth.

You have manufacturing companies ranging from pharmaceuticals, food preparation, bottling, distilleries, cigarette manufacturing, automotive and electrical appliance manufacturing, to mention some, harnessing the immediate efficiencies of robots to churn thousands of commercial products in days where it would have taken human hands to finish in months.

For most of the last half of the 20th century, robotics have replaced humans in performing tedious, repetitive manufacturing routines with none of employment-related costs like fringes and leave benefits. Of course, you still need to have maintenance downtimes on these robotic contraptions.

Autonomic Robots

One can define a robot as an autonomous computer. Its electro-mechanical features that can manipulate objects, recognize sights and sounds and perform mundane repetitive or dangerous tasks are simple I/O interfaces like you PC printers to get things done based on an inferential engine that can create instructions without the help of human intervention. In short, they have complete autonomy.

Some of the marvels of the last years of the 20th century have harnessed robotic science to engineer automatic response from computer-assisted contraptions. When your car is on cruise along the highway, it is basically invoking a robotic autonomy that controls the car without the driver doing anything, except to manually over-ride it and thus, disengages the robotic-like autonomy. When the new generation aircrafts form Airbus and Boeing are on cruise in mid-flight, the same robotic-like autonomy is engaged.

Nearer to home, when you program your microwave ovens or the VCR player to start recording at a certain time of the day, you are benefiting from robotic-like features, Even the music jukeboxes of the 50s have robotic features that allow a bank of 45 rpm records to be selected on cue, played and then returned by a robotic arm.

Robotic Applications

There are now a number of prototype robots possessing locomotive and androgenic similarities to humans. They can walk, climb steps and even play ping pong. Earlier, thinking computers that can process billions of simulations have successfully played and defeated chess champions. Technology now needs to put all that into computational power in a robotic application the size of a human brain and can be motive enough to become human companions. Sound like science fiction, alright. But it will still take a generation or two to get there.

In the meantime, robotics have increasingly found their way in scientific exploration, police and military application as well as industrial manufacturing. You have robots that can be deployed to analyze volcanoes and hurricane formation and other dangerous exploratory endeavors that are hazardous to health.

Unmanned vehicles with acute sensors are deployed by para-military police to survey criminal activity and location prior to an attack. In actual military combats, similar devices on flying aircraft or helicopter-like drones can penetrate hostile territories for both surveillance and bombing missions.

They have the same lethal promise as missiles but still return to base after a successful bombing run. NASA has likewise deployed unmanned robotic spacecraft remotely controlled to explore the outer reaches of the galaxy where human sojourn remains difficult.

Peaceful uses of robotic science has found it way, not only in manufacturing plants, but in hospitals that employ robots on wheels to deliver medication to patients and can interface with computerized elevator to get into floors. The day will come when all household help from robots will became a reality. GP

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_How Robotics Is Helping the 21st Century Man_7271.aspx

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Ruhfus are specialists in hydraulic cylinders and recommends Emics, a privately owned laboratory specialising in calibration services.

Keywords : calibration, calibration services, inspection, cmm, Ruhfus, Systemhydraulik, Hydraulikzylinder, Hydro, Zylinder,

Category : Business : Business

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