Introduction to Robotics

The field of robotics has its origins in science fiction. The term robot was derived from the English translation of a fantasy play written in Czechoslovakia around 1920. It took another 40 years before the modern technology of industrial robotics began. Today Robots are highly automated mechanical manipulators controlled by computers. We survey some of the science fiction stories about robots, and we trace the historical development of robotics technology. Let us begin our chapter by defining the term robotics and establishing its place in relation to other types of industrial automation.Robotics is an applied engineering science that has been referred to as a combination of machine tool technology and computer science. It includes machine design, production theory, micro electronics, computer programming & artificial intelligence."Robotics" is defined as the science of designing and building Robots which are suitable for real life application in automated manufacturing and other non-manufacturing environments.The official definition of an industrial robot is provided by the robotics industries association (RIA).