This document discusses the history and applications of industrial robots. It begins by defining industrial robots as automated machines that can perform dangerous or repetitive tasks. It then outlines the evolution of robots from early prototypes in the 1950s to modern collaborative robots (cobots). Current applications of robots include welding, assembly, packaging, and material handling. The document predicts that robot usage will increase 175% over the next decade and that future robots will have more advanced capabilities like machine learning and vision systems to work alongside humans.