How a robot works
- SenseCameras, touch and position sensors
- DecideA computer compares what it senses to its goal
- ActMotors move arms, wheels or grippers
- Check and repeatFeedback corrects every motion
A control loop
The same sense–decide–act loop engineers use in reactors and autopilots.
Robots at work
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1961 | Unimate, the first industrial robot, joins a GM factory |
| 2000 | da Vinci surgical robot cleared in the U.S. |
| 2004–today | Rovers explore Mars |
| Today | Over 4 million industrial robots work worldwide |
Warehouses, farms and hospitals are adding robots fastest.
Promise and questions
Promise
- Safer work in dangerous places
- Steadier, more precise surgery
- Help for elderly and disabled people
Questions
- Jobs that change or disappear
- Safety around people
- Cost and repairs
Sources: International Federation of Robotics; NASA; Smithsonian
Remember
Robots sense, decide and act in a loop; adding AI makes that loop far more flexible.
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Answer key
- What are the three basic steps a robot repeats?Sense, decide, actIt's a control loop.
- What was the first industrial robot?UnimateUnimate joined a GM factory in 1961.
- About how many industrial robots work worldwide today?Over 4 millionMore than 4 million.
- Which robot assists surgeons?da VinciThe da Vinci surgical system.
- Which is a promise of robotics?Safer work in dangerous placesRobots can take on hazardous jobs.