What does robot mean?
A robot is a machine that makes autonomous decisions based on input from sensors. A software agent is a program that automatically processes input and produces output. Perhaps a robot is best described as an autonomous software agent with sensors and moving outputs, or it could be described as an electromechanical platform with software running on it. Either way, a robot requires electronics, mechanical parts, and code.
The word robot conjures up images of fantastic sci-fi creations, devices with legendary strength and intelligence. These often follow the human body plan, making them an android, a human-like robot. They're often given a personality and behave like a person who is, in some simple way, naïve:
Figure 1.1 – Science fiction and real-world robots. Images used are from the public domain OpenClipArt library
The word robot comes from science fiction (also known as sci-fi). The word is derived from the Czech word for slave and was first used in the 1921 Karel Capek play, Rossum's Universal Robots. The science fiction author Isaac Asimov coined the word robotics as he explored intelligent robot behavior.
Most real robots in our homes and industries are not cutting-edge and eye-catching. Most do not stand on two legs, or indeed any legs at all. Some are on wheels, and some are not mobile but still have moving parts and sensors.
Robots such as modern washing machines, autonomous vacuum cleaners, fully self-regulating boilers, and air sampling fans have infiltrated our homes and are part of everyday life. They aren't threatening and have become just another machine around us. The 3D printer, robot arm, and learning toys are a bit more exciting, though:
Figure 1.2 – The robot, simplified and deconstructed
At their core, robots can all be simplified down to outputs such as a motor, inputs such as a sensor, and a controller for processing or running code. So, a basic robot would look something like this:
- It has inputs and sensors to measure and sample properties of its environment.
- It has outputs such as motors, lights, sounds, valves, or heaters to alter its environment.
- It uses data from its inputs to make autonomous decisions about how it controls its outputs.
Now, we will go ahead and look at some advanced robots in the next section.