The history of robotics is firmly connected to the early times in science and technology. We find with the advent of technologies as hydraulics, electronics, computers and a few others to mention came the birthing of robotics.All the aforementioned contributed a quota in the advent of robots to mankind. At present, robotics is taking a new dimension that beats man’s earlier perceptions. In the 21st century, these electronic and artificial beings have proven as not just very helpful but also as a desirable companion.
The global recognition of robots came about in the early 20th century. As a matter of fact, traces of its origin dates back to early history. It is recorded that the prehistoric age craved and imagined the possibility of creating automated beings who could wield extraordinary power and carry out the whims and caprices of its creator. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks at a point in history created machines that helped in executing domestic tasks.
In the early nineteenth century, a survey was made and research was carried out by Dr Frankenstein on the possibility of creating a humanlike automatic monster called Frankenstein. The need for the construction of machines to foster intellectual power thronged along with the pace-setting speed in technological advancement.
Amazingly, we find that in our world today, technological discoveries have advanced the ideas of robotics. Robots have been designed to serve for different applications. There happens to be a different kind of robots serving various functions. We have robots for security advancement, farm robots that are basically programmed to assist in farm work, medical robots that serve as paramedics and auxiliary nurses in the hospital, gaming robots, military robots that serve as surveillance and spy on the enemy’s territory in war, robots for industrial manpower, and lastly and most incredibly is the robots for sexual pleasure known as sex robots.
There happen to be six major types of industrial robots namely, the Cartesian robot, delta robots, cylindrical robot, polar, articulated and Scarra robots.These six robots are uniquely configured, they vary in terms of joint configuration and body movement axes in a robot refers to the joints in the arms.
Cartesian robots are designed to conform to the Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, Z).They basically have three linear joints.Cylindrical robots are rotational robots been that they have rotary joints that use rotational motors at the joint axis of the robot.Polar robots are spherical in design.Scarra robots are of two parallel joints and they provide compliance in a single selected plane.The delta robots are heavily used in electronic, food and pharmaceutical industry. These robots are configured to be quite detailed and meticulous in movement.Articulated robots are designed to have two to ten joint features.
ROBOTS IN BUSINESS
In our age, we find a very competitive online retailing business. Online stores have sought to upgrade their services by using delivery robots that can offer doorstep services to consumers conveniently and speedily. This kind of robots services has been carried out in tech-advanced countries.
A French online company; Franprix has adopted this mode of home delivery in other to make life easier for city dwellers. Amazon stores have equally deployed theirs and currently several other companies are carrying out tests to affirm the authenticity of these delivery robots. Apart from its ability to deliver goods, it can serve as a capable mall attendant, helping aged and people with mobile difficulties in carrying their goods after purchases. These robots follow commands by pairing with the customer by visual recognitions.
Now imagine been attended to by a robot that can help stock shelves, carry shopping loads and bring store demands at your doorstep, quite relieving indeed. This is how far robotics has gone; it’s a world of endless possibilities.
RECYCLING WASTE ROBOTS
A recycling robot was being made by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). These robots called Robcycle was created with arms capable of touching and identifying waste.This robot was not only programmed for visual perception but it was capable of sensing through tactile input.
The Robcycle is built with two pincers that enable it to size up picked materials; the pincers have capacitive sensors which make sorting easier for the robot. This robot is ideal for selecting waste in areas like residential blocks on campuses. It is a much-needed technology in an era where recycling waste has become of foremost importance to the related power sectors.
ROBOTS IN DOMESTIC DUTIES
The usefulness of robots has extended in varying aspects of human activities. Recently the organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in partnership with Toyota launched a robot that would be used in assisting people who are handicapped, aged or with moving difficulties at the event in 2020. These two robots are the product of Toyota. These human support robots (HSR) small, white built with facial features are capable of guiding the users to their seat, carrying goods and fetching food for the viewers at the events. The organizers revealed that the essence of launching these robots in the 2020 games is to make people understand that robots can be incorporated in their daily lives as a capable assistant.
ROBOTS FOR SEXUAL PLEASURE
This is one very interesting aspect of a robot that in the last 50 years wouldn’t have crossed our weirdest dreams. It has become the rave of the moment and is gaining commercial grounds with amazing speed. Analysts have predicted that in the next ten years, sex Robots will be a common item in homes. These robots are programmed as sensual partners capable to love and be loved, able to have sex and pleasure its partner as a real human would.
These robots are otherwise known as robot sex dolls. They are commonly made of medical grade silicon to give the feel of a real human body and have mind-boggling cognitive, emotional and physical abilities of an actual human. They are majorly made in female stereotypes.
Although early in 2018, Matt McMullen of RealBotix created a synthetic male robot ‘’Henry’’. This robot worth from $1000-$50,000 is programmed for women who want a companion who can play the role of an ideal male lover, a man who listens, love unconditionally and of course tirelessly satisfy her sexual needs.
Nevertheless, Kathleen Richardson; professor of ethics and culture of Robot and AI at De Montfort University have strongly argued that the demerit of this kind of robots by far outweighs its importance. All these and never-ending models are being created in the ever-blossoming world of artificial intelligence today.
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