What are robots?

A robot is a machine designed to execute one or more tasks continuously, with speed and precision. There are various kinds of robots can be found depending on the type of tasks for them to perform. Generally, robots are computer controlled but they can be controlled by a human operator from a great distance.

On the basis of being controlled, there are two categories of robots; autonomous robots and insect robots. An autonomous robot is a robot which is complete with its own computer. This computer controls the actions of the robot and the robot acts as a stand-alone system.

Whereas, on the other hand, insect robots work in fleets with numbers ranging from a few to thousands. These all members work under the supervision of a single controller.

Robots are also categorised according to the time frame in which they were first widely used. First-generation robots fall in the time frame 1970s and constitute stationary, nonprogrammable, electromechanical devices without sensors. Second-generation robots date from the 1980s and consist of sensors and programmable controllers.

Third-generation robots fall in the time frame between 1990 and the present. These machines can be stationary or mobile, autonomous or insect type, with sophisticated programming, speech recognition and other advanced features.

Fourth-generation robots fall in the research and development phase and have special features as artificial intelligence, self-replication, self assembly and nanoscale size. There is another type of robots called androids which have significant resemblance to human beings. They are mobile, usually moving around on wheels or on a track.