American robotics

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NASA's ATHLETE hexapod ATHLETE (robot).jpg
NASA's ATHLETE hexapod

Robots of the United States include simple household robots such as Roomba to sophisticated autonomous aircraft such as the MQ-9 Reaper that cost 18 million dollars per unit. [1] [2] The first industrial robot, robot company, and exoskeletons as well as the first dynamically balancing, organic, and nanoscale robots originate from the United States. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

History

Televox and creator R. J. Wensley, 1928 Televox and R. J. Wensley 1928.jpg
Televox and creator R. J. Wensley, 1928

In 1898 Nikola Tesla publicly demonstrated a radio-controlled torpedo. [7] Based on patents for "teleautomation", Tesla hoped to develop it into a weapon system for the US Navy. [8] [9]

In 1926, Westinghouse Electric Corporation created Televox, the first robot put to useful work. In the 1930s, they created a humanoid robot known as Elektro for exhibition purposes, including the 1939 and 1940 World's Fairs. [10] [11]

Unimate was the first industrial robot, [3] which worked on a General Motors assembly line in New Jersey in 1961. [12] [13] It was created by George Devol in the 1950s using his original patents. Devol, together with Joseph F. Engelberger started Unimation, the world's first robot manufacturing company. [4]

In 2008 the U.S. Air Force 174th Fighter Wing transitioned from F-16 piloted planes to MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are capable remote controlled or autonomous flight, becoming the first all-robot attack squadron. [2] [14] [15]

Modern robots

Roomba Roomba original.jpg
Roomba
Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity Lander Petals PIA04848.jpg
Mars Exploration Rover
Da Vinci Surgical System Laproscopic Surgery Robot.jpg
Da Vinci Surgical System
MQ-8 Fire Scout RQ-8A Fire Scout.jpg
MQ-8 Fire Scout
MQ-9 Reaper MQ-9 Reaper in flight (2007).jpg
MQ-9 Reaper
SWORDS Foster-Miller TALON SWORDS.jpg
SWORDS

Domestic

Entertainment

Extraterrestrial

Medical

Military (offensive/multi-role)

Aerial

Terrestrial

Military (non-offensive)

Aerial

Terrestrial

Nanoscale

Walker

Non-autonomous (human operated)

These machines are human operated and not autonomous. Therefore, they do fit the classical description of a robot.

Exoskeleton

Military

Research

Software

American robotics companies

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robot</span> Machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically

A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be constructed to evoke human form, but most robots are task-performing machines, designed with an emphasis on stark functionality, rather than expressive aesthetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk</span> Unmanned surveillance aircraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military robot</span> Robotic devices designed for military applications

Military robots are autonomous robots or remote-controlled mobile robots designed for military applications, from transport to search & rescue and attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton</span> Maritime version of RQ-4 Global Hawk

The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is an American high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed for and flown by the United States Navy and Royal Australian Air Force as a surveillance aircraft. Together with its associated ground control station, it is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, the Triton is intended to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions (ISR) over vast ocean and coastal regions, continuous maritime surveillance, conduct search and rescue missions, and to complement the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

iRobot American technology company that produces consumer robots

iRobot Corporation is an American technology company that designs and builds consumer robots. It was founded in 1990 by three members of MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab, who designed robots for space exploration and military defense. The company's products include a range of autonomous home vacuum cleaners (Roomba), floor moppers, and other autonomous cleaning devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teleoperation</span> Operation of a system or machine at a distance

Teleoperation indicates operation of a system or machine at a distance. It is similar in meaning to the phrase "remote control" but is usually encountered in research, academia and technology. It is most commonly associated with robotics and mobile robots but can be applied to a whole range of circumstances in which a device or machine is operated by a person from a distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper</span> American unmanned aerial vehicle

The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). The MQ-9 and other UAVs are referred to as Remotely Piloted Vehicles/Aircraft (RPV/RPA) by the USAF to indicate ground control by humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicular automation</span> Automation for various purposes of vehicles

Vehicular automation involves the use of mechatronics, artificial intelligence, and multi-agent systems to assist the operator of a vehicle such as a car, lorry, aircraft, or watercraft. A vehicle using automation for tasks such as navigation to ease but not replace human control, qualify as semi-autonomous, whereas a fully self-operated vehicle is termed autonomous.

Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots. Robotics is related to the sciences of electronics, engineering, mechanics, and software. The word "robot" was introduced to the public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R., published in 1920. The term "robotics" was coined by Isaac Asimov in his 1941 science fiction short-story "Liar!"

Obstacle avoidance, in robotics, is a critical aspect of autonomous navigation and control systems. It is the capability of a robot or an autonomous system/machine to detect and circumvent obstacles in its path to reach a predefined destination. This technology plays a pivotal role in various fields, including industrial automation, self-driving cars, drones, and even space exploration. Obstacle avoidance enables robots to operate safely and efficiently in dynamic and complex environments, reducing the risk of collisions and damage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legged robot</span> Type of mobile robot

Legged robots are a type of mobile robot which use articulated limbs, such as leg mechanisms, to provide locomotion. They are more versatile than wheeled robots and can traverse many different terrains, though these advantages require increased complexity and power consumption. Legged robots often imitate legged animals, such as humans or insects, in an example of biomimicry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of robots</span>

The history of robots has its origins in the ancient world. During the Industrial Revolution, humans developed the structural engineering capability to control electricity so that machines could be powered with small motors. In the early 20th century, the notion of a humanoid machine was developed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic robot</span> Type of service robot

A domestic robot is a type of service robot, an autonomous robot that is primarily used for household chores, but may also be used for education, entertainment or therapy. While most domestic robots are simplistic, some are connected to Wi-Fi home networks or smart environments and are autonomous to a high degree. There were an estimated 16.3 million service robots in 2018.

Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots. Robotics is related to the sciences of electronics, engineering, mechanics, and software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States military</span> US industry information

As of January 2014, the United States military operates a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles : 7,362 RQ-11 Ravens; 990 AeroVironment Wasp IIIs; 1,137 AeroVironment RQ-20 Pumas; 306 RQ-16 T-Hawk small UAS systems; 246 MQ-1 Predators; MQ-1C Gray Eagles; 126 MQ-9 Reapers; 491 RQ-7 Shadows; and 33 RQ-4 Global Hawk large systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora Flight Sciences Orion</span> Type of aircraft

The Orion is a Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Aurora Flight Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elena García Armada</span> Spanish engineer

Elena Garcia Armada is a Spanish researcher, roboticist, business founder and industrial engineer who leads the CSIC group at the Center for Automation and Robotics, (CAR) CSIC-UPM that has developed the first bionic exoskeleton for children with spinal muscular atrophy, for which she received the European Inventor Award Popular Prize in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft</span> U.S. surveillance drone

The Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft or ULTRA is a developmental unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) built by Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) and DZYNE Technologies Incorporated.

References

  1. Reminiscing on the Roomba
  2. 1 2 The Rise Of The Droids
  3. 1 2 Nof, Shimon Y. (1999). Handbook of Industrial Robotics (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. pp. 3–5. ISBN   978-0-471-17783-8.
  4. 1 2 1961: The First Robot
  5. A Brief History of Exoskeletons
  6. Smallest Robot Archived December 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Cheney, Margaret (1989). Tesla, man out of time . New York: Dorset Press. ISBN   978-0-88029-419-5.
  8. US 613809,Tesla, Nikola,"Method of and apparatus for controlling mechanism of moving vessels or vehicles",published 1898-11-08
  9. "Tesla - Master of Lightning". PBS.org. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  10. "Robot Dreams : The Strange Tale Of A Man's Quest To Rebuild His Mechanical Childhood Friend". The Cleveland Free Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  11. Scott Schaut (2006). Robots of Westinghouse: 1924-Today. Mansfield Memorial Museum.
  12. 1961: Installation of the First Industrial Robot
  13. Menzel, Peter; Faith D'Aluisio (2000). Robo sapiens: evolution of a new species . The MIT Press. pp.  186–189. ISBN   978-0-262-13382-1.
  14. MQ-9 Reaper
  15. Unmanned Reapers bound for Iraq, Afghanistan
  16. Dexter Walks
  17. Building the Real Iron Man
  18. Building the Real Iron Man