Robots

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Robots

• What Can Be Said?

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Origin

• The word robot comes from the Czech word
  robonik, meaning slave.

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Robots Come in Many Different Shapes and Sizes,
but They All Have the Same Basic Components

• Sensors, which capture information from the
  environment
• A microprocessor to process the information
• Actuators to produce movement or alter the
  environment in some way, for example by turning
  an electronic switch on or off.

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What They Are Used for?

• Robots are used for the following
• For spray painting, spot welding and car
  assembly.
• As security devices in the home and office
  buildings.
• As vehicles in space exploration.
• As intelligent wheelchairs for disabled people
  and.
• As underwater maintenance for oil rigs.

Hundreds of applications use robots in one form
or another.
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Why Use Robots?

• Robots can tirelessly perform repetitive and
  monotonous tasks, lift heavy loads and reach long
  distances. They are used, for example, by the US
  navy to scrape and repaint ships.
• Labour costs can be substantially reduced. Robots
  are widely used in car manufacturing as well as
  in many other industries including printing and
  publishing. Robots can carry tons of paper coming
  off presses, bind and trim books and apply book
  covers. It has been estimated that each
  industrial robot will replace an average of six
  workers.

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• Quality of work is consistent. A robot is never
  tired or bored or having an day off.
• Robots can work 24 hours a day, do not need
  breaks and do not need to go on strike.
• They can work in total darkness, at low
  temperatures, thus saving on electricity bills.
• They can also be used in hazardous areas, such as
  fume-filled rooms or radioactive environment.
  Tests are currently being carried out to set
  robots to work on clearing mine fields.

You may like to know that teachers might be
replaced by robots, because soon they may be able
to have the ability to talk etc.
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Discussion
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Question of Discussion
Robots are immensely expensive to buy and
install, and need to be used for a high
proportion of each day in order to recoup the
cost. What happens when demand for a product
slumps? Would a manufacturer be better advised to
stick with manual workers, who can be laid off
and rehired when times improve?
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What Happens When Demand for a Product Slumps?

• In 1997, a company brought a number of robots to
  manufacture a product, and because the robots
  could do the work of 6 workers the sacked them.
• To the right is an mock up of what might happen
  if the product slumps.
• The product sale was highest in year 1998, but
  the sales suddenly declined.
• The customers may no longer have interest in the
  product.
• So the manual workers had to be re-admitted, so
  that they can save the money it costs to maintain
  the robots.

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Would a Manufacturer Be Better Advised to Stick
With Manual Workers, Who Can Be Laid off and
Rehired When Times Improve?

• For a manufacturer to lay off workers and install
  robots to replace them, is in fact quite risky
  because you have to be sure that your robots will
  increase sales and profits.
• Its nearly always the most successful
  manufacturers which turn to buy robots rather
  than hire manual workers.
• Although there are many advantages to investing
  robots into a company, they will cost much more
  money to run rather than the traditional manual
  worker, who you would just pay weekly wages to.
• It is advised not to go over the top with taking
  out workers and bringing in robots. It is much
  better to have a look at the demand in the
  product from the customers and slowly upgrade the
  performance of your company by introduce robots
  and hiring robotic engineers to maintain the
  robots.

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Conclusion

• Robots can be used almost everywhere.
• In the household.
• At school.
• At work.
• They come in many shapes and sizes.
• They are expensive to buy and to run.
• They make work easier.
• Can be programmed to do almost everything.

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The End
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