It might surprise you to know that robotics has been a part of human history for a long time. Humanity has always been obsessed with creating automatons that will fulfill our needs. The very first robots might be the clockwork dolls of ancient Japan or the mechanical marvels of Leonardo Da Vinci. History aside, it is a well-known fact that robotics have improved through the centuries. They have improved to the extent that they have changed how we live our lives forever. Here are 7 Ways robotics has evolved through the years.
Warfare
Back in the day, a large aspect of warfare was conducted by human soldiers. If an area needed to be scouted out, then a human scout needed to be sent out. This method was constantly used throughout the decades.
During both the First and Second World Wars, a multitude of soldiers was killed because they were sent out to inspect an area. Nowadays, though, robotics technology has evolved to the extent that specialized robots could be sent out to scout enemy terrain without risking human life. Some great examples of these robots are remote-controlled drones. The US army particularly used these drones in various overseas campaigns to scout out an area and even take out key targets.
Other types of warfare robots are the combat platform robots and the bomb-defusing robots. The combat platform robot is specially designed to go into enemy terrain, and take out enemies without risking human life. These robots are usually built like mini-tanks and are installed with heavy guns such as machine guns and even missile launchers.
Bomb defusing robots are designed to defuse bombs. The bomb-defusing operations were once done by specialist human soldiers. It was necessary that a human do the defusing process because precision and delicacy were required to properly defuse a bomb. With the creation of bomb-defusing robots though, there is no longer any need to put the bomb-defusing expert in harm’s way. Bomb defusing robots are now designed to be controlled via remote. This means the bomb defuser could defuse the bomb a mile away, without putting his or her life in danger.
Although the way war is being waged has changed quite drastically, the evolution of robots for warfare has helped lessen casualties through the years.
Filmmaking
In the past few decades, filmmaking has progressed a great deal. One of the key reasons is the utilization of robotics for filmmaking. One of the best examples is the use of animatronics in movies. Most animatronics for filmmaking were used in monster films such as Jurassic Park and Godzilla. These filmmaking animatronics are extremely advanced because the operators could control them in the most sophisticated ways possible.
Companionship
In the past few decades, robotics has evolved to such a degree that human-like robots could be created to provide people with companionship. One of the very first types of companion robots was named Paro. It had a seal-like form and could follow its owners around very much like a pet. In the past few years though, companion robots have evolved to such an extent that they could be used to act as companions for older people. Some robots are so advanced that they could have intelligent conversations with their owners, and even show emotion through their facial expressions.
Healthcare
One of the most incredible types of robots is healthcare robots. They are highly impressive because compared to other robots they are somewhat recent. The very first healthcare robots were surgical robots, and they were invented in 1985. These robots were used for surgery, wherein they guided needles during biopsies.
A few decades later, healthcare robots have become so much more physical, and are even capable of performing surgeries. There are even some robots that are fulfilling nursing jobs. They are powerful enough to carry patients and intelligent and dexterous enough to give out medicine and perform delicate tasks such as taking blood samples.
Industrial robots
Ever since the industrial era, manufacturing factories have become a part of humanity’s progress through the years. Manufacturers used to hire armies of human workers in order for their production lines to run smoothly. In the past few decades though, industrial robots have become so advanced that they are taking up a good number of tasks that were once done by human workers. Robot companies such as EVS have created highly advanced robots that are capable of a multitude of industrial tasks.
Space Exploration
Ever since humanity has set its collective trajectory on space exploration, the field of robotics has evolved a great deal as well. The very first robot that was sent to space was the Russian-built Sputnik. The robot was built on October 4, 1957. Since then new innovations in robotics have been made through the years. The most recent space exploration robots are now installed in space probes, and they are being used to explore the deepest expanse of space.
Farming
A few decades ago farming productions were usually done by human workers. If the crops needed to be gathered, the landowner needed to hire a small army of workers just to get the job done. Nowadays though, specialized robots are capable of fulfilling this task and more.
In the past few years, farming robots have evolved a great deal. There are now fruit-gathering robots that are capable of picking fruits with incredible speed and dexterity. There are also some robots that are capable of cutting crops, remove the husk, and store the seeds incredibly fast. With these incredible innovations in robotics technology, the farming industry has vanced as well.advanced a great deal.
Conclusion
Robots have been a part of human history for hundreds of years, and throughout that time, robotics has reached new heights. By knowing of these evolutions, you’ll know how far robotics has come.
