Most people have a fascination with robots.
They are auto-operated machines that can perform just like humans. In comparison to humans, they lack appearance (except for a few), and a natural feel. Moreover, robots are created to free up time and get work done efficiently. They commonly have three features namely, sensing, computing, and acting.
Some advantages of robots are:
- 24/7 work
- Reliability
- Accuracy
- Increase in production, etc.
15 Cool Robot types you need to know
1. Aerospace robots
It includes all kinds of flying robots such as the SmartBird robotic seagull and the Raven surveillance drone. Mars Rover and NASA’s Robonaut are the humanoids that flew to the International Space Station and back to the Earth.
2. Consumer robots
These robots can help you with tasks and chores. They are also used just for fun. For example, the robot dog Aibo, the Roomba vacuum, AI-powered robot assistants, and different types of robotic toys and kids.
3. Disaster response robots
These robots are useful in searching for survivors in the aftermath of an emergency like earthquakes and tsunamis. For example, Packbots.
4. Drones
These unmanned aerial vehicles come in different sizes and have different levels of autonomy. For example, DJIS famous Phantom series and Parrot Anafi. In addition, military systems like Global Hawk are used for long-duration surveillance.
5. Education robots
This category of robotics is designed for use at home or in classrooms. It contains programmable kits from Lego, 3D printers with lesson plans, and even mentor robots like EMYS.
6. Entertainment robots
These robots are mainly trained to elicit an emotional response and make us laugh, feel surprised, or awe. For instance, the robot comedian Robo Thespian, Disney’s theme Park robots like Navi Shaman, and musically inclined bots like Partner.
7. Exoskeleton robots
These robots are used for physical rehabilitation and for enabling mobility in a paralyzed patient. It has military or industrial applications whereby it gives the wearer mobility, endurance, or capacity to carry heavy loads.
8. Humanoids
An example of a humanoid robot is Honda’s Asimo which has a mechanical appearance. In addition, Android robots like the Geminoid series are designed to look like people.
9. Industrial robots
Robots with a manipulator’s arm are created to perform repetitive tasks as the traditional industrial robot. For example, Unimate’s grandfather of all factory robots. It includes systems like Amazon’s warehouse robots and collaborative factory robots that can work alongside human workers.
10. Medical robots
This includes systems such as a Da Vinci surgical robot and bionic prosthetics, and robotic exoskeletons which are medical health care robots. Watson, the IBM question-answering supercomputer which is used in healthcare applications may as well fall in this category but is not a robot.
11. Military and security robots
There are systems such as Endeavor Robotics Packbots and Big Dog that are military robots used to scout for improvised explosive devices. They are also designed to assist troops in carrying heavy gear and autonomous mobile systems such as cobalt are security robots.
12. Research robots
These robots are primarily intended to help researchers do well in research. However, the majority of today’s robots are born in universities and corporate research laboratories. Therefore, they are useful and make the work easier.
13. Self-driving cars
These cars are driven by the robots themselves and a large number of them can now drive you around too. It includes the vehicles built for DARPA’s autonomous vehicle competition and Google’s pioneering self-driving Toyota Prius, now known as Waymo.
14. Telepresence robots
Robots that allow you to be present at a place without actually going there are called Telepresence robots. To activate it, one has to log on to the robot system via the Internet and drive it around seeing what it sees and talking to people. Doctors can use it to check on patients and workers too can use it to team up with colleagues at a distant office.
15. Underwater robots
The ideal place for these robots is in the water. These robots consist of deep-sea submersibles like Aquanaut, diving humanoids like Ocean One, and bio-inspired systems like the ACM-R5H snakebit
In short, these are the different types of robots having various applications and purposes. I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Let us know in the comments below which robots piqued your interest.
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