This material is from many sources collected for academic purposes.

Robot
The dictionary meaning of a robot is a machine
resembling a human being and able to replicate certain
human movements and functions automatically.
In other words, a robot is a machine designed to execute
one or more tasks automatically with speed and
precision. There are as many different types of robots
as there are tasks for them to perform.
The term comes from a Czech word, robota, meaning "forced labor." The
word robot first appeared in a 1920 play by Czech writer Karel Capek, R.U.R.:
Rossum's Universal Robots. In the play, the robots eventually overthrow their
human creators. One early example of a robotic design dates back to about
1478: Leonardo da Vinci's car, a spring-driven autonomous system that was
likely created to cause a sensation at court.

What are the main types of Robot physical configurations?

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.]

Common Types of Industrial Robots:

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 (or Spherical)- 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.
 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.

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.
Basic Robot Motions
The purpose of any robot is to perform a task. To accomplish the task, the end of
the robot’s arm is attached a hand or end effector. To do the task, the robot arm
must be capable of moving the end effector through a sequence of motions. There
are six basic motions or degrees of freedom that provide this capability. In fact,
these degrees of freedom are intended to emulate the versatility of human arm.
However, not all robots are equipped (or required to be equipped) with the ability
to move in all six degrees.
Six degrees of freedom consists of the following movement parameters:

 Translation – Moving along the different axes X, Y and Z

o Moving up and down along the Y axis is called heaving.
o Moving forwards and backwards along the X axis is called surging.
o Moving left and right along the Z axis is called swaying.
 Rotation – Turning in order to face a different axis
o Moving between X and Y is called pitch.
o Moving between X and Z is called yaw.
o Moving between Z and Y is called roll.
Work Volume
A space on which a robot can move and operate its wrist end is called as a work
volume. It is also referred as the work envelope and work space. For developing
a better work volume, some of the physical characteristics of a robot should be
considered such as:
 The anatomy of various robots
 The maximum value for moving a robot joint
 The size of the robot components like wrist, arm, and body

A cylindrical configuration robot has an arm that has got the ability to reach
horizontal and vertical directions. Moreover, it can make a rotary motion by
placing the arm at the centre of the robot. As a result, this robot requires
a cylindrical type of work volume for performing an operation. It is mostly used
in the material handling process. One setback of this robot is that it can’t pick the
tools from the floor.

The arm of a polar configuration robot does not move in up and down position
on the vertical axis as done in the cylindrical configuration. It just makes the robot
to rotate during the horizontal stroke by expanding the inner and outer circles. It
results in the formation of an arc movement. As soon as this process finishes, the
robot arm swings and gets spherical work volume. This type of robot is
incorporated in the Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) for picking up the
tools from the floor.
The work volume of a jointed arm configuration robot is a complex one. The wrist
and elbow of a manipulator are jointly swept in the horizontal and vertical
position. It works almost like a human arm. The result achieved from the jointed
arm and cylindrical configuration robots are same. The major advantage of the
jointed arm configuration robot is that it can move in all directions very easily
and flexibly. It is used for performing machine loading and unloading operations
in the CNC machines.
The Cartesian co-ordinate configuration robot arm will move in up & down
directions on the horizontal axis, and in & out motions in the vertical axis. The
collective movement of traverse and horizontal stroke results in the rectangular
work volume. It is inflexible, and best suitable for pick and place processes.

Precision of Movement of a Robot

It is consisting of three attributes
1. Spatial Resolution: Spatial resolution is the smallest increment of
movement into which the robot can divide its work volume. Spatial
resolution depends on two factors: the systems control resolution and the
robots mechanical inaccuracies. Its value is the sum of the two factors.
 2. Accuracy: It refers to the capability of the robot to position its wrist end or
the tool attached to the wrist to the given target point within its work
volume. Accuracy is closely related to the spatial resolution. It is one half
of the distance between two adjacent resolution points.
3. Repeatability: This refers to the robots ability to position its wrist end (or
tool) back to a point in space that was previously taught.

More about Robot Types

Robots that resemble humans are known as androids; however, many robots
aren't built on the human model.
Industrial robots, for example, are often designed to perform repetitive tasks
that aren't facilitated by a human-like construction.
A robot can be remotely controlled by a human operator, sometimes from a great
distance. A telechir is a complex robot that is remotely controlled by a human
operator for a telepresence system, which gives that individual the sense of being
on location in a remote, dangerous or alien environment and the ability to interact
with it. Telepresence robots, which simulate the experience and some of the
capabilities of being physically present, can enable remote business consultations,
healthcare, home monitoring and childcare, among many other possibilities.
An autonomous robot acts as a stand-alone system, complete with its own
computer (called the controller). The most advanced example is the smart robot,
which has a built-in artificial intelligence (AI) system that can learn from its
environment and its experience and build on its capabilities based on that
knowledge.
Swarm robots, sometimes referred to as insect robots, work in fleets ranging in
number from a few to thousands, with all fleet members under the supervision of
a single controller. The term arises from the similarity of the system to a colony
of insects, where the individuals and behaviors are simple but the fleet as a whole
can be sophisticated.

Robot Categories according to the time frame

Robots are sometimes grouped according to the time frame in which they were
first widely used.
First-generation robots date from the 1970s and consist of stationary,
nonprogrammable, electromechanical devices without sensors.
Second-generation robots were developed in the 1980s and can contain sensors
and programmable controllers.
Third-generation robots were developed between approximately 1990 and the
present. These machines can be stationary or mobile, autonomous or insect type,
with sophisticated programming, speech recognition and/or synthesis, and other
advanced features.
Fourth-generation robots are in the research-and-development phase, and
include features such as artificial intelligence, self-replication, self-assembly,
and nanoscale size (physical dimensions on the order of nanometers, or units of
10-9 meter).
Some advanced robots are called androids because of their superficial
resemblance to human beings. Androids are mobile, usually moving around on
wheels or a track drive (robots legs are unstable and difficult to engineer).
The android is not necessarily the end point of robot evolution. Some of the most
esoteric and powerful robots do not look or behave anything like humans. The
ultimate in robotic intelligence and sophistication might take on forms yet to be
imagined.