Plural ➝ Robots
Noun
- Device programmed that operates automatically, sometimes with humanlike skill.
- Automatic machine that, coordinated by a computer, performs one or more non-predetermined tasks.
Synonyms
Automaton – Android – Machine – Robota
Etymology
From the Czech word robot, derived from robota (forced labour), by which the Czech writer Karel Čapek referred to the automatons working in place of workers in his 1920s science fiction drama R.U.R. (Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti – Universal Robots of Rossum).
Pronunciation
/ˈroʊbɑt/
Related and derivatives terms
Robota – Robotics – robotization – roboticist – roboethics
Questions
What is the history of robots?
Read the most important steps of robots
Who is the father of robot?
Joseph Engelberger
How do robots interact with their environment?
Robots interact with their environment through sensors that detect physical properties such as temperature, pressure, or position, and through actuators that control motion and other actions.
Can robots replace humans in the workforce?
While robots are increasingly used in manufacturing and other industries, there are still many tasks that require human skills and judgment.
Quotations and Historical References
“Robots will play an increasingly important role in our lives in the future.”
Bill Gates
The Three Laws of Robotics (Isaac Asimov):
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
Fields of Application
Robots are used in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, military, and entertainment. They are used for tasks such as assembly, packaging, surgery, exploration, and surveillance.
Example sentences
- An industrial robot is used to assemble car parts in a factory.
- A surgical robot is used to perform minimally invasive surgery on a patient.
- A drone is used to survey an area for search and rescue operations.
Curiosities
The first industrial robot was called the “Unimate,” and was invented by George Devol in 1954.
The “uncanny valley” is a theory that suggests that as robots become more human-like in appearance, they become more unsettling to humans.
