Robotics: An Introduction to Today's Robot and Future Trends

摘要

A robot consists basically of three components: the power supply, the mechanical unit, and the controller--a microprocessor or minicomputer. The complexity of the control center determines the capabilities of the robot, which vary from material handling, painting, welding, and non-destructive testing, to identifying a given object in a random collection of objects and assembling it with other parts into a complex device. As features such as vision, tactile sensing, mobility, and CAD/CAM move from the research laboratory to the factory floor, robot capabilities will become virtually unlimited. There are three programming techniques available with today's robot: (1) manual lead-through programming; (2) teach pendant programming; and (3) textual language programming. Textual language programming may be done off-line, whereas the other two programming methods are done on-line.