Robotics Overview
Robotics is an interdisciplinary field at the crossroads of engineering and computer science involving the design and operation of robots. A robot is a machine that is capable of performing complex tasks either automatically or assisted by humans.
Robots have long been in the imagination of Sci-Fi and fiction with R2-D2, WALL-E, and Rosie of The Jetsons. The origin of the word "robot" stems from a 1920 Czech science-fiction play, Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti (Rossum's Universal Robots). This play was a critique of industrialization and its dehumanization of people. "Roboti" was derived from the word "robota" meaning "forced labor." (Jordan, 2019)
In modern times, humans have used robots to explore other planets and the deepest parts of the ocean. They are used in factories for complex assembly lines and the home for vacuuming and mopping tasks. Specialized robots are used for a variety of surgical tasks and others have been developed as toys. While not every home has a Rosie to tidy up those sci-fi visions for the future have been influential in the robots that are created today.
Resources
Online Robotics Courses
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