31. THE USE OF INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS
As manufacturing assembly has grown increasingly complex, the need for new and
expanded capabilities, particularly in automated assembly systems, has become evident. As
components get smaller, as in microchip manufacturing, greater precision is required, and
throughout manufacturing, greater flexibility and higher throughput are necessary for
competitive advantage. Manual assembly no longer suffices for a great many of
manufacturing's current requirements. Without industrial robots, many manufacturing
tasks would simply be impossible, or their performance would be prohibitively expensive.
During the early stages of robotics development, the automobile industry was the main
market for robot manufacturers. In the early 1980s, 70 percent of robot orders were for use
in the automotive industry. During this time, robot manufacturers simultaneously
improved their reliability and performance and sought to lessen their dependence on the
automotive industry by focusing on specific niche markets. By concentrating on
applications other than spot welding, painting, and dispensing, the robotics industry was
able to develop products that could successfully handle not only assembly, but also material
handling and material removal. Spot welding, which for a long time was the major
application of robotics, eventually was eclipsed by materials handling.
32. GROWTH IN THE ROBOTICS INDUSTRY
Robotics technology was first developed in the United States, but Japanese manufacturers
were the first to fully embrace robotics. Observers view this as a significant factor in Japan's
emergence as a global manufacturing power. Today Japan is not only one of the major users
of manufacturing robotics, but it is also the dominant manufacturer of industrial robots.
The robotics industry has been growing in the twenty-first century. The Robotic Industries
Association (RIA) reports that an estimated 178,000 industrial robots are in use in the
United States as of 2008, up from 82,000 in 1998. In 2007, North American manufacturers
purchased nearly 16,000 robots valued at over $1 billion, a 24 percent increase from the
previous year. The key factors driving the current growth in robotics are mass
customization of electronic goods (specifically communications equipment), the
miniaturization of electronic goods and their internal components, and the
restandardization of the semiconductor industry. The food and beverage industry is also in
the midst of an equipment-spending boom in an effort to improve operating efficiencies.
Robot installations for such tasks as packaging, palletizing, and filling are expected to see
continued growth. In addition, increases are anticipated in the aerospace, appliance, and
non-manufacturing markets.
33. THE FUTURE OF ROBOTICS
To some, the future of robotics has never looked brighter. While robots are now a fixture in
factories, robotics experts expect to see their range increasing. The author of Theory of
Applied Robotics: Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control (2007) states, “Robots are prospective
machines whose application area is widening.” Other observers are even more excited,
expecting robots to lead from the factory to other areas of life relatively soon. As the author
of Robots: From Science Fiction to Technological Revolution (2005) put it, “Now, on the cusp
of the 21st century, [robots] are poised to saturate every aspect of our culture, from
medicine, science, and industry to artworks, toys, and household appliances.”
Production of bipedal robots that mimic human movement are being created around the
globe. Honda Motor Company's ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) robot is
considered the world's most advanced humanoid robot. It can climb stairs, kick, walk, talk,
dance, and even communicate.
Honda plans to one day market the robot as an assisted-living companion for the disabled
or elderly. Other robots that simulate human movement have been created at Cornell
University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Holland's Delft University of
Technology.
Chip Walter's 2005 article, “You, Robot,” discusses renowned robotics researcher, Hans
Moravec, Carnegie Mellon University scientist and cofounder of the university's Robotics
Institute.
34. Types of
Robotic Arms
There are many different
types of robotic arms, but
most can be characterized
into one of six major
categories by their
mechanical structure.
Cartesian (also known as
Gantry) robots have three
joints that are coincident
with the standard X-Y-Z
Cartesian axes. Cylindrical
arms have any number of
joints that operate on a
cylindrical axis, normally
rotating about one fixed rod.
Spherical (polar) arms are
those with joints that allow it
full rotation throughout a
spherical range.