What are
Robots?
Robots is a machine resembling a human being and able
to replicate human movements, carrying out a complex series of actions by
programming to works and can be functions automatically or guided by an
external control device.
As we are talking about robot lets us see some basic
information about robot.
World’s first digitally work robot
In 1954
George Devol invented the first digitally operated and a programmable robot
called the Unimate. In 1956, Devol and his partner Joseph Engel Berger
formed the world's first robot company. In 1961, the first industrial robot,
Unimate, went online in a General Motors automobile factory in New Jersey.
A basic robot contains a movable physical structure, a
motor of some kind, a sensor system, a power supply and a memory to store the
data which can be programmable its nothing but a brain to control all the other
elements.
Use of robots
Industrial
The vast
majority of robots in use today perform labour tasks for humans. The first
robots created were used to produce ashtrays, according to the Tech Museum of
Innovation. NASA’s Rover Ranch website mentions that robots that perform
industrial tasks often do jobs that are either too dangerous or too hard for
humans to do.
Automotive
factories use robots to cut and assemble parts. With space exploration,
scientists send robots to explore the surfaces of the moon or planets like
Mars, while other robots go into space to repair space equipment. In the
medical field, a robot might be used to perform surgery that is too delicate
for a surgeon’s hands to perform or as an aid in regular surgeries such as
coronary artery bypasses.
Social
Some robots
perform more social duties and interact with humans through talking, sounds or
music. These robots take on a humanoid persona than do industrial robots.
Japan’s HRP-4C robot, designed to look like the average Japanese woman, sings
and dances for spectators and, in 2010, performed a mini concert for observers.
The Telenoid
R1 robot, also a Japanese creation, allows users to communicate over long
distances by mimicking the speaker’s movements, according to New York Daily
News. The medical field uses robotic patients in order to give students the
opportunity to interact with a patient without running the risk of hurting a human
subject. Robotics engineers in Japan work to create robots which can mimic
human expressions and emotions that could one day be used to help patients in
hospitals and nursing homes.
Toys
Toy robots
allow anyone to enjoy the advanced technology of a robot without spending
thousands of dollars or more. Dogs make popular robotic toys for kids, with
models such as Sony’s Aibo and the Hasbro and Tiger Electronics creation iDog.
Some toy robots look like the average idea of what a robot should look like.
These toys perform simple tasks such as walking, dancing or speaking on
command. The toy company WowWee produces a wide array of robotic toys, such as
the Robosapiens line of toys.
What happen if Robots malfunction?
A mounting
list of robot-related accidents has experts questioning whether the devices
will be prone to more dangerous malfunctions or even programmed attacks.
Notable
mishaps that have been documented include a robotic security guard knocking
over a child at a California shopping mall, a demonstration robot smashing a
window at a Chinese conference—it caused a bystander to get injured, and 144
deaths in the United States caused by robotic surgery. All this according to
security firm.
MedTech
companies are rolling out robots and drones to help fight it and provide
services and care to those quarantined or practicing social distancing. This
pandemic has fast-tracked the "testing" of robots and drones in
public as officials seek out the most expedient and safe way to grapple with
the outbreak and limit contamination and spread of the virus. As one of the
world's most influential tech innovators and a country that had prioritized the
advancement of robotics as a key component in its Made
in China 2025 initiative, when COVID-19 broke out in China it became
an ideal time to see what robots and drones could do to support humans in
battling the virus. Here are some of the ways robots and drones are being used
to fight COVID-19.
ADOBE STOCK
Telemedicine
and to provide care and treatment
COVID-19 is
taxing healthcare systems and medical professionals in every country it spreads
to. Telemedicine, supported by robots, makes it possible for medical
professionals to communicate with patients remotely, saving time and allowing
possibly contagious patients to stay confined. Not only can robots communicate
with individuals quarantined due to coronavirus, but they can also acquire
vital patient information and help doctors treat patients. At the Wuchang field
Hospital, a ward was staffed with 5G-powered robots to not only help alleviate
the strain on human personnel but to contain the contagion.
Delivery
robots
Due to the
contagiousness of COVID-19, it’s safer if human-to-human contact is minimized.
Since robots are immune to infection, tech companies such as JD.com and
others have stepped up to the challenge to get more robots out in force to
deliver e.g. medical supplies within healthcare environments. Robots are also
proving to be valuable when delivering essential items to people who shop and
purchase online and are quarantined at home. Meituan Dianping, a delivery app,
ramped up their “contactless delivery” options through autonomous vehicles and
robots. Shenzhen-based start-up Pudu Technology aimed to reduce cross-infection
by implementing home delivery of drugs and meals via robot.
Within
warehouses that support online shops, robots are also used to automate and
streamline order fulfilment. The logistics affiliate of Alibaba, often referred
to as China’s version of Amazon, uses robots in its warehouses and has been
involved with getting medical aid donations to areas of China such as Wuhan
that need them for testing and treatment of the coronavirus.
Food
delivery service Ele.me used robots to deliver meals to quarantined individuals
held in a hotel who were suspected of having the virus. While many of these
companies have experimented or already launched robot delivery on a small
scale, the demand created by the coronavirus made them scale up their robotic
services. Robots were also used in kitchens to cook food and to serve food at
restaurants.
Sterilization
robots
Danish
company UVD Robots shipped robots to Chinese hospitals to disinfect rooms,
and when fully deployed, the robots will operate in all Chinese provinces.
These robots emit an ultraviolet light throughout an area to kill viruses and
bacteria without exposing any human personnel to infection. These bots are
remotely controlled by a health worker who remains a safe distance away. Since
there are thousands of deaths each year attributed to hospital-acquired
infections, automation to prevent disease is a great opportunity for robots
Youibot,
another Chinese robot maker, created a sterilization robot in just 14 days
based on the demand from the marketplace.
Robots
get back to work
One of the
issues experienced by Chinese companies, specifically in the factories that
supply many enterprises around the world, was how to continue production
without human personnel available. The disruption to the world's supply chain
will continue to ripple through the global economy even as COVID-19 cases
decrease in China.
A survey by the American Chamber of Commerce
Shanghai found nearly half of the 109 companies polled said that their biggest
challenge in the coming weeks was to have enough staff to run the full
production lines in factories. This reality will make ramping up robotic
automation even more appealing to reduce costs, ensure continuity and
productivity even if the country experiences another global pandemic or other
shutdowns.
Drones
Shenzhen
company MicroMultiCopter deployed more than 100 drones to many Chinese cities
that could patrol areas and observe crowds and traffic more efficiently. Those
not wearing masks in public spaces could be identified. These flying robots are
also used to broadcast information to a larger area than traditional
loudspeakers can. Another way drone is used to fight coronavirus is to spray
disinfectant in public spaces. Through thermal sensing, drones are also helping
officials with crowd management and to identify people with elevated body
temperatures, which could indicate they have the virus.
Japanese company
Terra Drone ensured that medical and other supplies were safely
transported from Xinchang County’s disease control centre to the Xinchang
County People’s Hospital without exposing humans to infection. They obtained
the first urban drone delivery license issued by the Civil Aviation
Administration of China. According to reporting by GPS World, using drones
speeds up transport by 50% compared to road transportation. In addition to
speed, it doesn’t expose human delivery drivers to any risks.
In an outbreak,
the scale of coronavirus (COVID-19) robots and drones could become an
increasingly essential support for humans in fighting the virus.
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