ROBOTICS

TECHNOLOGY
PRESENTED BY: ERIKA MARIE M. MARTINEZ
BSPSYCH 1-A
ROBOTICS
Robotics is the science and technology of robots, their design,
manufacture, and application. It requires working knowledge of
electronics, mechanics and software, and is usually accompanied
by large working knowledge of many subjects.
All robots share the features of mechanical, movable structure
under some form of autonomous control. The structure of a robot
is usually called kinematic chain (being akin to the skeleton of the
human body). The chain is formed of links (it’s bones), actuators
(it’s muscles) and joints which can allow one or more degrees of
freedom.
Robots called serial robots are often resemble the human arm
which each link connects the one before to the one after it.
Some robots called Stewart platform, use closed parallel
kinematic chain.
Robots used as manipulators have an end effector mounted
on the last link. This end effector can be anything from a
welding device to mechanical hand used to manipulate the
environment.
ETYMOLOGY

The word robotics was first used in print by Isaac Asimov, in

his science fiction short story “Run around”, published in
March 1942 in Astounding Science Fiction. Robotics are used
in industrial, military, exploration, home making, and
academic and research application.
COMPONENTS OF ROBOTS
 Actuation – are the ‘muscles’ of a robot; the parts which
convert stored energy into movement. The most popular
actuators are electric motors powered by electricity, while
other used chemicals, or compressed air.
 Motors – DC motors which are familiar to many people,

spin rapidly when an electric current is passed through

them . They will spin backwards if the current is made to
flow in the other direction.
 Stepper Motors – they do not spin freely like DC motors,
they rotate in steps of a few degrees at a time, under the
command of a controller. This makes them easier to
control, as the controller knows exactly how far they have
rotated, without having to use a sensor.
 Piezo Motors – a recent alternative to DC motors, known

as ultrasonic motors. The advantages of these motors are

incredible nanometre resolution, speed and available force
to their size.
Stepper motors

Air muscles
 Air Muscles – the air muscle is a simple yet powerful
device for providing a pulling force. When inflated with
compressed air, it contracts by up to 40% of its original
length. The key to its behaviour is the braiding visible
around the outside , which forces the muscle to be either
long and thin, or short and fat. Since it behaves in a very
similar way to a biological muscle. It can be used to
construct robots with a similar muscle or skeleton system
to animal.
 Electroactive Polymers – a class of plastics which change
shape in response to electric stimulation. They can be
designed so that they bend, stretch or contract, but so far
there no EAP’s suitable for commercial robots, as they tend
to have low efficiency or are robust.
MANIPULATION
Robots which must work in the real world require some way
to manipulate objects; pick up, modify, destroy or otherwise
have an effect. Thus the ‘hands’ of a robot often referred to as
an end effector, while the arm is referred to as a manipulator.
Most robot arms have replaceable effectors, each allowing
them to perform some small range of tasks. Some have a
fixed manipulator which cannot be replaced, while a few have
one very general purpose manipulator, a humanoid hand.
 A SIMPLE GRIPPER
 Grippers – a common effector; usually consists just two

fingers which can open and close to pick up and let go of a range
of small objects.
 Vacuum Grippers – pick and place robots for electronic

components and large objects, will often use very simple vacuum
grippers. These are very simple, but can hold very large loads and
pick up any object with a smooth surface to suck on to.
 General Purpose Effectors – these highly dexterous

manipulators, with as many 20 degrees of freedom and

hundreds of tactile sensors can be difficult to control. The
computer must consider a great deal of information, and
decide on the best way to manipulate an object from many
possibilities.