Robotics – 5FWD – A History

A Short History of Robotics from an Engineering Perspective

Author: Bernard de Souza

This document explains the history of robotics to help understand how they could continue to evolve.

Wikipedia defines a robot as follows: “A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically.”

Assembly lines were primitive robots

The key to this definition is “automatically”.  Thus, an operator using a crane would not be a robot.  However, by this definition, a historic assembly line that was totally automated is a version of a robot.  The conveyor belt would operate based on sensors showing that the product had been loaded correctly and would move the product to the next stop where it would be worked on to modify the product through the process.  Often there would be arms (similar to robotic arms) that would pick the product up and flip it over based on a sensor.  If no human controlled each element of the process, this system could be defined as a simple robot.

Robots increased safety, accuracy, and productivity

In the 70’s and 80’s robots that look more like the ones we recognize were introduced into the auto industry.  This was done for primary 2 reasons:  First, the high cost of union labor meant that the increased robotic productivity would mean a lower payback period on the investment.  Second, the improved repeatability of the robot meant that the quality of the vehicle produced was significantly higher.

Robots were best at repetitive tasks

As the cost of robots came down with scale, it became practical to replace or “automate lower paid positions.  However, until robots could accept more sophisticated data and make more complex decisions, the type of automation was limited to very repeated roles.

Evolution of robots now includes sensors

More recently the cost of these feedback sensors has dropped and the processor speeds have improved that robots now have the ability to replace more thoughtful human behavior.

Driverless cars are effectively a complex robot.  They take feedback from hundreds of sensors and in real-time “make decisions”.  Instead of traditional robotic arms, this robot has wheels whose speed and direction change based on feedback.   The robot takes positional information, information about the environment, the traffic etc.  and makes a decision on routes, braking.

Impact on Work

At this point, they do not have the sophistication to change a tire or fill the car with gas (though most are electric).  Once these and a few other hurdles are overcome, these robots will be able to replace truckers, bus drivers, and other positions.  At that point, trucking companies will become tremendously profitable, but many workers will be out of work.

Shifting definitions of Robots

There are many other types of robotic applications.  Drones not controlled by humans would also be considered a robot.  The next generation of jet fighters will need to be self-managed as the delay from transferring info to a ground operator will make that process of managing today’s drones impractical.

If the complex programming required to manage a car or a jet fighter can be overcome as it surely will, there will be many more positions that can be automated using robots.

It is very feasible that you may have a robot in your house taking care of all chores – if it can become culturally acceptable.

Author: Bernard de Souza, P.Eng.