Industrial Robotics: Man & Machine Team

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Computers )



Industrial robotics has revolutionized the production and manufacturing field to such an extent that parallels what the invention of the assembly line did to cars more than a hundred years ago. Industrial robotics is an umbrella term that encompasses industrial robots, robotic systems, automated machines, and computers among others.

Industrial robotics refers to automated systems designed to perform very specific, dedicated tasks in the production line. Most of the tasks these robotic systems perform are highly repetitive and require very exact handling of parts.

THE PRODUCTION REVOLUTION

While industrial robotics is not meant to replace manual labor, industrial robots have taken substantial part in the production line because they are fast, precise, and can work non-stop.
Of course robotic systems do require maintenance and parts replacement, but other than this, they are tireless, efficient workers. Alongside human labor, industrial robotics has exponentially increased productivity in the manufacturing floor.

Industrial robotics has also made the workplace safer for people. Robotic systems can be designed to have the capability to perform tasks that otherwise would be very hazardous for humans to do, like the handling of very hot materials and toxic chemical substances.

SPECIALIZED FUNCTIONS

The main strength of the robotic industry is that they can design robots to perform very exact tasks – but this is also their weakness. The very specific nature of their design leaves industrial robots no room for adaptability. Because industrial robots are designed to be highly specialized, they are limited in terms of job responsibility. A new step in the assembly line requires another robot.

While this may change as robots become more and more intelligent, the fact still remains that the potential of these robots will always be a mere function of human control. How far these robots can go has always been and will always be limited by the power of the human mind.


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