Robot

once, they existed only as science fiction, but today’s robots are indispensible workers in factories across the world.

The WIRED-UP WORKER who never gets sick or tired

By the way... I can respond to people’s moods with voice, touch, or expression. When I get bored, I look for toys to keep me entertained.

Unimate

The first real robot, called Unimate, was a computerized robotic arm with a gripper attached. In 1961, American car manufacturer General Motors became the first company to use a Unimate robot in its production process. Unimate welded parts, poured liquid metal, and stacked metal sheets.

Hard at work

Unimate led the way for robotic employees, with more than one million robots at work in factories today. In the car industry, robots are now in the driver’s seat, making up 1 in every 10 car-production workers. Their robotic arms have been developed so that a variety of tools can be attached, such as hooks, grippers, or welding equipment.

It paved the way for...

Surgical robotS with arms and viewers called endoscopes allow surgeons to perform operations with far greater preciSion than they could by hand. Help in the home could soon come from

robot houSekeeperS. PaPePo robots aSSiSt with choreS, control household devices, and monitor e-mails.

For an employer, a robot is the perfect employee. It works fast and performs repetitive tasks but never tires or makes mistakes. Dangerous tasks such as clearing land mines or putting out fires are no problem for a robot without feeling. Put in a dark, hot, or unpleasant place, robots work without complaint or payment.

Artificial intelligence

Robots do not have the natural intelligence of people. Jobs requiring decision-making are better suited to humans. Developing artificial intelligence is the focus for robotic engineers today. Some robots already recognize faces, play instruments, and detect smells. This robot, called kismet, was developed by American researcher Cynthia Breazeal in the 1990s to show how humans and robots can interact.

To date, robots have been used mainly as cheap labor, doing the dirty work that people want to avoid. This has cut costs and increased production. But with advances in artificial intelligence, who knows what this incredible invention will be capable of in the future? How it changed the world

For those who want a pretrained animal friend, robot pets could be the answer. Robot dogs and cats move like real animals, but they Busy hospitals and nursing homes may soon use robot nurses to assist with care.

Lifting and carrying patients is one task that robots carry out with ease.