In a nutshell, Robotics is the study of robots and their possible applications in both everyday work, as well as specialised tasks. To be precise this branch of technology tends to deal with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots, alongside the computer systems that are used for their control and information processing.
The primary concept, and later creation of machines that would be able to work autonomously is something that was first thought up during the classical era, but it was not until more recent times that we’ve been able to fully realise the initial concept. Research into the potential possibilities and functionalities of Robotics did not become fully realised until the 20th Century, as technology in prior centuries did not have the level of sophistication required to construct such machines.
In this modern age, robotics is a field of technology that is progressing rapidly as the sophistication of modern robots continually advances and applies itself to many practical purposes, and while it is found in both domestic and commercial practices, it is most prominent in military applications. Such applications vary widely, from building cars, to defusing bombs and explosive devices, the exploration of wrecked ships or various deep subterranean caverns. The most well-known application of robotics is, naturally, in space operations, where they are used in Zero G environments and experiments, repairing damaged portions of space stations or attaching new installations, and, of course, the exploration of new planets and the furthest reaches of space.
The idea behind automation and robotics is not a recent idea or concept, in fact it has rather loose origins in ancient legends and myths, which eventually led to spawn the more solid and modern constructs of today. These modern concepts had its beginnings during the age of the Industrial Revolution, which first spawned the requirements for more advanced and complex machinery, which then led to the subsequent introduction of history. This new power source first allowed for the possibility for a new alternative method to power machines that housed compact motors.
The modern concept of a “Humanoid Machine” was first developed and visualised during the 1920s, to the point where ideas of human sized robots who held the capacity to form near human thoughts and perform everyday human functions became increasingly common.
The very first applications of these “Modern Robots” were implemented in factories as industrial robots, which were essentially simplified machines capable of handling manufacturing tasks with requiring any human assistance. It wouldn’t be until the 1960s that humanity would first delve into the construction of digitally controlled industrial robots, and one that went beyond even that to those that would make use of artificial intelligence.
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