Robotics

, one of the first industrial robots (1990) Robotics is the interdisciplinary study and practice of the design, construction, operation, and use of robots. A roboticist is someone who specializes in robotics. Robotics usually combines four aspects of design work: a power source (e.g. a battery), mechanical construction, a control system (electrical circuits), and software (run by remote control or artificial intelligence). The goal of most robotics is to design machines that can assist humans in various fields, such as agriculture, construction, domestic work, food processing, inventory management, manufacturing, medicine, military, mining, space exploration, and transportation. Robots impact humans by displacing workers. Some expect this to occur at an increasing rate, leading to proposed solutions such as basic income. Robotics is itself a lucrative business that creates careers, especially for postgraduates. Roboticists often aim to create machines that seem to interface naturally with humans. The field is under active research and development, with areas of interest including robot kinematics and quantum robotics.

, one of the first industrial robots (1990)]] Robotics is the interdisciplinary study and practice of the design, construction, operation, and use of robots. A roboticist is someone who specializes in robotics. Robotics usually combines four aspects of design work: a power source (e.g. a battery), mechanical construction, a control system (electrical circuits), and software (run by remote control or artificial intelligence). The goal of most robotics is to design machines that can assist humans in various fields, such as agriculture, construction, domestic work, food processing, inventory management, manufacturing, medicine, military, mining, space exploration, and transportation. Robots impact humans by displacing workers. Some expect this to occur at an increasing rate, leading to proposed solutions such as basic income. Robotics is itself a lucrative business that creates careers, especially for postgraduates. Roboticists often aim to create machines that seem to interface naturally with humans. The field is under active research and development, with areas of interest including robot kinematics and quantum robotics. ==Design== Robotics usually combines four aspects of design work to create a robot: Power source: Potential energy sources include wired electricity, a battery, and/or petrol. Mechanical construction: A physical form or combination of forms is designed to functionally achieve tasks within a given range of environments. This can include locomotive elements such as wheels and caterpillar tracks, as well as hydraulic limbs and manipulators (e.g. hands). Control system: Electrical circuits (utilizing components such as diodes and transistors) are used to run software, govern motor movement, and read sensors. Software: A program is how a robot decides when or how to do something. Robotic programs can be run by remote control, artificial intelligence (AI), or a hybrid of the two. AI programming is an important part of robotic navigation and human–robot interaction. ==Employment concerns== The incorporation of robots into industries has increased efficiency and productivity. It is typically seen as a long-term investment for benefactors and perhaps even an essential component of manufacturing. However, it has the potential of replacing most of the work performed by humans, with a 2017 study finding that automation alone puts 47% of US jobs at eventual risk. Robotics is thus often used as an argument for basic income to replace lost wages. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking observed in 2016: The automation of factories has already decimated jobs in traditional manufacturing, and the rise of artificial intelligence is likely to extend this job destruction deep into the middle classes, with only the most caring, creative or supervisory roles remaining. According to the Robotic Industries Association US data, in 2016 the automotive industry was the main customer of industrial robots with 52% of total sales. They can perform over half of the labor in the auto industry, including heavy duty such as car assembly. By 2003, an IBM keyboard manufacturing factory in Texas was fully automated as a "lights out" factory. In 2026, one expert observed that most humanoid logistics robots would likely be assigned to new, streamlined facilities, rather than those originally designed for humans. As of 2022, China had the greatest number of industrial robots in operation with 1.5 million units and was increasing that figure by more than 20% annually. Since 2018, autonomous restaurants have been run in Massachusetts (by Spyce Kitchen until 2022), the Los Angeles area (by Miso Robotics), and the Chicago area (by Nala Robotics). As of August 2026, California Pizza Kitchen plans to install 1,000 vending machines over three years. Some companies sell their kitchen automation systems, including those related to commercial dishwashing. In the first half of 2026, China delivered over 40,000 humanoid robots. The Donald Trump administration subsequently banned the import of new advanced robot models from China, citing security concerns, while US companies prepared to deliver some of the first robots intended for domestic use. ==Further reading== ==External links== IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Journal of Field Robotics

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