What Are the Different Types of Robotic Systems?

The robot system is a whole composed of a robot, a work object, and the environment, including a mechanical system, a driving system, a control system, and a sensing system. A robot is an automated machine. This machine has some intelligent capabilities similar to humans or living things, such as perception, planning, action, and collaboration. It is a highly flexible automated machine. ^[1]

There is no unified definition of robots. It is difficult to give robots a suitable and generally accepted definition. Experts use different methods to define this term. Its definition has also become more difficult due to the public's imagination of robots and the depiction of robot shapes in sci-fi, movies and television. In order to define technology, develop new capabilities for robotics, and compare the results of different countries and companies, some common understanding of the term robot is required. At present, there is no uniform definition of robots in the world, and each country has its own definition. These definitions differ widely. Part of the difference is that it is difficult to distinguish between a simple robot and its "rigid automation" technology device that transports materials. ^[1]

The robot system is composed of a robot, a work object, and the environment, including a mechanical system, a driving system, a control system, and a sensing system.

The robot system is actually a typical mechatronic system, and its working principle is: control

There are many ways to classify robots. Here I introduce the i classification method, that is, according to the geometry of the manipulator, the control method of the robot, and the information input method of the robot.

(1) Classified by the geometric structure of the robot

There are various forms of mechanical configuration for robot manipulators. The most common form of structure is described by its coordinate characteristics. These coordinate structures include Cartesian coordinate structures, cylindrical coordinate structures, polar coordinate structures, spherical coordinate structures, and articulated spherical coordinate structures. Here is a brief introduction to the three most common robots with cylindrical, spherical and articulated spherical coordinate structures.

(2) Classified by the control method of the robot

According to the control method, robots can be divided into non-servo robots and servo-controlled robots.

1) Non-servo robot. Non-servo robots have limited working capabilities. They often involve robots called "end-point", "grab-and-place" or "switch", especially "limited-order" robots.

2) Servo controlled robot. Servo-controlled robots have a stronger working capacity than non-servo robots, so they are more expensive, and in some cases not as reliable as simple robots. Servo control robots can be divided into two types: point servo control and continuous path (trajectory) servo control.

(3) Classification by information input method of robot controller

When using this classification method for classification, it is slightly different for different countries, but they can have uniform standards. Here mainly introduces the classification adopted by the Japanese Industrial Robots Association (JIRA), the American Robot Association (RIA), and the French Industrial Robots Association (AFRI).

1) The JIRA taxonomy. The Japan Industrial Robots Association classifies robots into six categories: manual operators, sequenced robots, sequenced robots, repetitive robots, program-controlled robots, and intelligent robots. Among them, intelligent robots can use sensor information to independently detect changes in their working environment or working conditions, and rely on their self-determination ability to successfully perform corresponding work, regardless of changes in the environmental conditions of their tasks.

2) RIA taxonomy. The American Robotics Association treats the last four machines in the JIRA classification as robots.

(4) Classified by the intelligence of the robot

1) General robot. No intelligence, only general programming capabilities and operating functions.

2) Intelligent robot. With different degrees of intelligence, they can be divided into:

a. Sensing robot. With the use of sensory information (including vision, hearing, touch, proximity, force, infrared, ultrasound and laser, etc.) for sensory information processing to achieve control and operation.

b. Interactive robot. The robot communicates with the operator or programmer through a computer system to control and operate the robot.

c. Self-supporting robot. After the design and production, the robot can automatically complete humanoid tasks in various environments without human intervention.

(5) Classified by the purpose of the robot

1) Industrial robot or industrial robot. Application in industrial and agricultural production, mainly used in manufacturing, welding, painting, assembly, handling, inspection, agricultural product processing and other operations.

2) Explore robots. For space and ocean exploration, as well as ground and underground exploration and exploration.

3) Service robot. A semi-autonomous or full-autonomous robot that works on services that can make humans better off and make equipment outside the manufacturing industry work better.

4) Military robot. Used for military purposes, or offensive or defensive. It can be divided into aerial military robots, marine military robots and ground military robots. Or simply referred to as Air Force Robot, Naval Robot, and Army Robot.

(6) Classification by robot mobility

1) Stationary robot. Fixed on a certain base, the entire robot (or manipulator) cannot move, only the joints can be moved.

2) Mobile robot. The entire robot can move in a certain direction or in any direction. Such robots can be divided into wheeled robots, crawler robots, and walking robots, the latter of which are divided into one-foot, two-foot, four-foot, six-foot, and eight-foot walking robots. ^[1]

In the industrial environment, simplification and low cost are the guidelines for designing actuators. Therefore, such as opening and closing the gripper

figure 2

Simple device applications are very common. This situation has led to the development of specialized equipment over the years that can only perform a single specific operation and not suitable for other tasks. At this time, the smart multi-finger robotic hand has not been applied to any major production area due to its reliability, complexity, and cost.

On the other hand, more and more operations are now designed for human-controlled robots to work in specific working environments. Entertainment, maintenance, space detection, and helping disabled people are typical examples of robot system applications. In these examples, Robots need to operate tools or objects designed for humans (or humans themselves). In this case, the robot must be able to grasp and manipulate different objects such as size, shape, and mass. Therefore, a robot hand with a suitable number of fingers and a highly anthropomorphic appearance is the best choice.

At this time, a series of projects dedicated to the development of highly anthropomorphic robots have been started. Among them are the well-known NASA / JPLE Robonaut (see Figure 2), DLR equipment, and many anthropomorphic robots being developed. ^[3]