How Have Robots Changed Over the Years?

Video Transcript

"Now, people think robot in many different ways. Most popular concept is robot is like human, and act like human. But that was not what robot initially invented for. In 1950's, a man named Joseph Engelberger thought he can use modern computer technology to develop automated machine which can do more than one task. Subsequently he created a company called Unimation, and in 1961, fast industrial robot called Unimate was used in a car assembly plant. The robot was called Unimate, and it was generally known as manipulators. It has one arm, and very simple end effector or gripper. And the major tasks performed were pick and place, welding, etcetera. And now, even, now those in this robot has been used in the car manufacturing floors, and just like this. So in this here robots, typically placed on a fixed platform. Since 1960's robot technology has evolved into more mobile robots like this one, which can scan the environment using various sensors, so you can have the robot in your home, in a museum, in the hospital, other than manufacturing floors. So, where is the robot technologies going? Well, surprisingly one direction is try to realize the original dreams of automaton, invented during the 17...70's, as a form of humanoid robot. And this is a simple, Regor humanoid robot our graduate student put together. It has sensors, motors, and legs to walk around. So, this type of humanoid robots are already made by Honda, Sony, and they only perform, currently, very limited number of tasks, but hopefully in the next twenty, twenty-five years, these robot will be available for you in your home or other places to assist you or perform as your partners."