The mechanical age is when we first start to see connections between our current technology and its ancestors. The mechanical age can be defined as the time between 1450 and 1840. A lot of new technologies are developed in this era as there is a large explosion in interest with this area. The electronic age is what we currently live in. It can be defined as the time between 1940 and right now a revolutionary time in industry and robotics.
An industrial robot is a robot system used for manufacturing. Industrial robots are automated, programmable and capable of movement on three or more axes. Typical applications of robots include welding, painting, assembly, disassembly, pick and place for printed circuit boards , packaging and labeling , palletizing, product inspection, and testing; all accomplished with high endurance, speed, and precision. They can assist in material handling. In the year 2015, an estimated 1.64 million industrial robots were in operation worldwide according to International Federation of Robotics (IFR).Industrial robots are the foundation of our robotic infrastructure, and they have remained relatively unchanged for the past 50 years. With Mimus, we highlight an untapped potential for this old industrial technology to work with people, not against them. Our software illustrates how small, strategic changes to an automation system can take a one ton beast-of-a-machine from spot welding car chasses in a factory, to curiously following a child around a museum like an excited puppy. We hope to show that despite our collective anxieties surrounding robotics, there is the potential for empathy and companionship between humans and machines.
Madeline Gannon says “Robots Are Creatures, Not Things” and Mimus has proved this statement.Mimus is a giant industrial robot that’s curious about the world around her. Unlike in traditional industrial robotics, Mimus has no pre-planned movements: she is programmed with the freedom to explore and roam about her enclosure. Mimus has no eyes, however she uses sensors embedded in the ceiling to see everyone around her simultaneously. If she finds you interesting, Mimus may come in for a closer look and follow you around. But her attention span is limited if you stay still for too long, she will get bored and seek out someone else to investigate. Every aspect of Mimus from the interaction design to her physical environment is designed for visitors to forget they are looking at a machine, and instead see her as a living creature. This lets us use the robot’s body language and posturing to broadcast a spectrum of emotional states to visitors when Mimus’ sees you from far away, she looks down at you using a fairly intimidating pose, like a bear standing on their hind legs when you walk closer to her, Mimus approaches you from below, like a dog that is excited to see you.
Common Types of Industrial Robots:
Articulated – This robot design features rotary joints and can range from simple two joint structures to 10 or more joints. The arm is connected to the base with a twisting joint. The links in the arm are connected by rotary joints. Each joint is called an axis and provides an additional degree of freedom, or range of motion. Industrial robots commonly have four or six axes.
Cartesian – These are also called rectilinear or gantry robots. Cartesian robots have three linear joints that use the Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, and Z). They also may have an attached wrist to allow for rotational movement. The three prismatic joints deliver a linear motion along the axis.
Cylindrical – The robot has at least one rotary joint at the base and at least one prismatic joint to connect the links. The rotary joint uses a rotational motion along the joint axis, while the prismatic joint moves in a linear motion. Cylindrical robots operate within a cylindrical-shaped work envelope.
Polar – Also called spherical robots, in this configuration the arm is connected to the base with a twisting joint and a combination of two rotary joints and one linear joint. The axes form a polar coordinate system and create a spherical-shaped work envelope.
SCARA – Commonly used in assembly applications, this selectively compliant arm for robotic assembly is primarily cylindrical in design. It features two parallel joints that provide compliance in one selected plane.
Delta – These spider-like robots are built from jointed parallelograms connected to a common base. The parallelograms move a single EOAT in a dome-shaped work area. Heavily used in the food, pharmaceutical, and electronic industries, this robot configuration is capable of delicate, precise movement.
Typical industrial robots are articulated and feature six axes of motion (6 degrees of freedom). This design allows maximum flexibility. Six-axis robots are ideal for:
Talking about robotics and AI reminds me of a movie I watched in my childhood it was beautifully crafted of a robot David, a highly advanced robotic boy, longs to become a human child so that he can regain the love of his foster mother who abandoned him. He soon embarks on a journey to make his dreams come true.
There are lots of movies I loved watch again and again like “Wall-E” and “Real Steel” WALL-E, short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class, is the last robot left on Earth. He spends his days tidying up the planet, one piece of garbage at a time. But during 700 years, WALL-E has developed a personality, and he’s more than a little lonely. Then he spots EVE, a sleek and shapely probe sent back to Earth on a scanning mission. WALL-E embarks on his greatest adventure yet when he follows EVE across the galaxy.
There are six main types of industrial robots cartesian, SCARA, cylindrical, delta, polar and vertically articulated. However, there are several additional types of robot configurations. Each of these types offers a different joint configuration. The joints in the arm are referred to as axes.
Tools & Technology in Art Education 