By Jaya,EEE 3rd Year
Autonomous robots are intelligent machines capable of performing tasks on their own without explicit human control. Autonomous robots can act on their own, independent of any controller or human intervention. The basic idea is to program the robot so that it incorporates in it the ability to move and be self-sufficient. These self-reliant robots can move themselves throughout the operation without human assistance, and are able to avoid situations that are harmful to themselves or people and property. Autonomous robots are also likely to adapt to changing surroundings.
Examples of these robots range from autonomous helicopters to robot vacuum cleaners.
Simpler mobile robots use infrared or ultrasound sensors to see obstacles. These sensors work in the same way as animal echolocation, i.e., the robot sends out a sound signal or a beam of infrared light and detects the signal's reflection. The robot locates the distance to obstacles based on how long it takes the signal to bounce back. Lawn-mowing robots, for example, depend on buried border markers to define the limits of their yard.
Advanced robots use stereo vision to see the world around them. Two cameras give these robots, depth perception and image-recognition, the ability to locate and classify various objects. Robots might also use microphones and smell sensors to analyse the world around them better.
More advanced robots can analyse and adapt to unfamiliar environments as well (even in areas with rough terrain). These robots may associate certain terrain patterns with certain actions. A rover robot, for example, might construct a map of the land in front of it based on its visual sensors. If the map shows a very bumpy terrain pattern, the robot knows to travel another way. This sort of system is very useful for exploratory robots that operate on other planets.
Autonomous robots are divided into four main categories based on their characteristics and applications:
A programmable robot is a first generation robot with an actuator facility on each joint. The robots can be reprogrammable based on the kind of application they are commissioned to. The function and application of the robots can be changed by reprogramming after the robot is programmed once to perform a function in the given pattern and fixed sequence. The advanced mobile robot, robotic arms are its few examples.
The main drawback of this autonomous robot is that once programmed it persists operation even if there is a need to change its task (in the event of emergency). These robots can be used in different applications like mobile robotics, industrial controlling and space craft applications.
2. Non-Programmable Automatic Robot
This robot is one of the basic types of non-programmable robot. The mechanical arms used in industries are examples of this type of robot wherein the robots are generally attached to the programmable devices used in industries for mass production. These types of robots find applications in some of the devices including path guiders, medical products’ carriers and also some line follower robots.
3. Adaptive Robot
Adaptive robots are also industrial robots that can be adapted independently to various ranges in the process. However, these robots are more sophisticated than programmable robots. These can be adapted up to a certain extent, and after evaluation they can perform the action required in that adapted area. These robots are mostly equipped with sensors and control systems.
Sensors are used to sense environmental conditions, process variables and other parameters related to a particular task. Feedback control system accesses these signals from the sensors, and depending on the algorithm implemented, it controls the outputs.
Adaptive robots are mainly used in applications such as spraying and welding systems. Robotic gripper and 2- finger adaptive gripper are examples of this autonomous robot. These robots can be used in different applications like aerospace, medical, consumer goods, house-hold applications and manufacturing industrial areas.
4. Intelligent Robots
Intelligent robots, as the name suggests, are the most intelligent of all the other types of robots with sensors and microprocessors for storing and processing the data. These robots performance is highly efficient due to their situation-based analysing and task performing abilities. Intelligent robots can sense the senses like pain, smell and taste and are also capable of vision and hearing, and in accordance, perform the actions and expressions like emotions, thinking and learning. These robots find their applications in the fields like medical, military applications and home appliance control systems, etc.
These are the four different types of autonomous robotic systems, which can be implemented over a wide range of applications. Most popular robots are placed in hazardous places because these robots perform the tasks that humans are restricted to perform. Robots can be used in different fields like medical, space communication, military applications, and so on. Although a lot of research has been done in the said field, a lot is yet to be discovered!
Examples of these robots range from autonomous helicopters to robot vacuum cleaners.
Simpler mobile robots use infrared or ultrasound sensors to see obstacles. These sensors work in the same way as animal echolocation, i.e., the robot sends out a sound signal or a beam of infrared light and detects the signal's reflection. The robot locates the distance to obstacles based on how long it takes the signal to bounce back. Lawn-mowing robots, for example, depend on buried border markers to define the limits of their yard.
Advanced robots use stereo vision to see the world around them. Two cameras give these robots, depth perception and image-recognition, the ability to locate and classify various objects. Robots might also use microphones and smell sensors to analyse the world around them better.
More advanced robots can analyse and adapt to unfamiliar environments as well (even in areas with rough terrain). These robots may associate certain terrain patterns with certain actions. A rover robot, for example, might construct a map of the land in front of it based on its visual sensors. If the map shows a very bumpy terrain pattern, the robot knows to travel another way. This sort of system is very useful for exploratory robots that operate on other planets.
Autonomous robots are divided into four main categories based on their characteristics and applications:
- Programmable
- Non-programmable
- Adaptive
- Intelligent
A programmable robot is a first generation robot with an actuator facility on each joint. The robots can be reprogrammable based on the kind of application they are commissioned to. The function and application of the robots can be changed by reprogramming after the robot is programmed once to perform a function in the given pattern and fixed sequence. The advanced mobile robot, robotic arms are its few examples.
The main drawback of this autonomous robot is that once programmed it persists operation even if there is a need to change its task (in the event of emergency). These robots can be used in different applications like mobile robotics, industrial controlling and space craft applications.
2. Non-Programmable Automatic Robot
This robot is one of the basic types of non-programmable robot. The mechanical arms used in industries are examples of this type of robot wherein the robots are generally attached to the programmable devices used in industries for mass production. These types of robots find applications in some of the devices including path guiders, medical products’ carriers and also some line follower robots.
3. Adaptive Robot
Adaptive robots are also industrial robots that can be adapted independently to various ranges in the process. However, these robots are more sophisticated than programmable robots. These can be adapted up to a certain extent, and after evaluation they can perform the action required in that adapted area. These robots are mostly equipped with sensors and control systems.
Sensors are used to sense environmental conditions, process variables and other parameters related to a particular task. Feedback control system accesses these signals from the sensors, and depending on the algorithm implemented, it controls the outputs.
Adaptive robots are mainly used in applications such as spraying and welding systems. Robotic gripper and 2- finger adaptive gripper are examples of this autonomous robot. These robots can be used in different applications like aerospace, medical, consumer goods, house-hold applications and manufacturing industrial areas.
4. Intelligent Robots
Intelligent robots, as the name suggests, are the most intelligent of all the other types of robots with sensors and microprocessors for storing and processing the data. These robots performance is highly efficient due to their situation-based analysing and task performing abilities. Intelligent robots can sense the senses like pain, smell and taste and are also capable of vision and hearing, and in accordance, perform the actions and expressions like emotions, thinking and learning. These robots find their applications in the fields like medical, military applications and home appliance control systems, etc.
These are the four different types of autonomous robotic systems, which can be implemented over a wide range of applications. Most popular robots are placed in hazardous places because these robots perform the tasks that humans are restricted to perform. Robots can be used in different fields like medical, space communication, military applications, and so on. Although a lot of research has been done in the said field, a lot is yet to be discovered!