The Building Blocks of Artificial Humans

Parts of a Robot

A robot, in its various forms, consists of several main components and parts:

• Sensors: Also known as receptors, sensors help the robot gather information about its surrounding environment. This data enables the robot to determine its behavior. Common examples include cameras, which function similarly to human vision by creating visual representations to help identify shapes, colors, sizes, and distances of objects. Other sensors include microphones that allow the robot to detect surrounding sounds, distinguish sound levels, types, and frequencies, and estimate distances to nearby objects—helping avoid collisions. Some sensors are designed to measure temperature and atmospheric pressure. More advanced types, such as those using laser beams (LIDAR), perform complex tasks like generating three-dimensional maps of locations and measuring gravity and acceleration.
• Actuators: Also referred to as effectors, these components carry out actions and perform assigned tasks. They are linked to pre-programmed instructions from a computer system, enabling the robot to execute specific operations. For example, a robot equipped with hammers and manual tools can be programmed to use them. Effectors also include appendages such as arms or fingers attached to the robot, allowing direct interaction with objects and tasks. Mechanical actuators (motors) provide the necessary power and energy for movement and task execution. Speakers are another type of actuator, enabling the robot to produce sounds or speech, facilitating interaction and information gathering from humans in its environment.
• The Brain: Also called the control system, this is the central component of a robot and comes in two main types. The first is the pre-programmed robot, designed to repeat specific tasks regardless of environmental changes. It can only collect limited information from its surroundings and operates with a relatively simple control system. These robots are typically placed in environments suited to their pre-defined tasks. The second type is the autonomous robot, which features a more complex system and has a higher capacity to respond and interact within complicated environments. It can better and faster sense environmental changes by analyzing data. In general, the robot's ability to respond to its surroundings and adjust its behavior accordingly is known as the 'control system'.

Can Robots Think?

This question relates to intelligence—the capability that enables thinking—and leads directly to understanding the kind of intelligence machines, such as robots, can operate with. The term 'intelligence' has multiple meanings but is often associated with the ability to gather information through environmental interaction, sometimes translated as 'intelligence gathering.' This concept gave rise to the term artificial intelligence (AI), which focuses on programming machines to receive, analyze, and respond to information, making logical decisions based on it. Using formulas and algorithms, AI systems interpret surrounding behaviors and generate new outcomes. This increases the likelihood of future advancements in machine intelligence, including robotic systems.

Definition of a Robot

The word 'robot' originally meant labor performed to the point of servitude. However, it gained its modern meaning thanks to Czech writer Karel Čapek, who used the term in his 1921 play about artificial workers created in a factory who rebel against their human masters. He introduced 'Robot' to describe metal-made workers, assembled or programmed via intelligent software, featuring limbs resembling organic or natural ones. In 1942, the term appeared in a short story by American author Isaac Asimov, who presented robots as servants or assistants to humans. Another definition, commonly accepted in scientific and commercial contexts, describes a robot as a programmable machine with multiple functions capable of manipulating objects or tools. It has movable parts or limbs that can be controlled through various programming parameters to perform different tasks.

References

1. "Parts of a Robot", consortium on cognitive science instruction, Retrieved 16-3-2018. Edited.
2. David L. Anderson,Robert T. Arrigo,Andy Schmidgall, "Artificial Intelligence: Can a Machine Think? (Page 1)", consortium on cognitive science instruction, Retrieved 18-3-2018. Edited.
3. "Robotics: A Brief History", Stanford CS, Retrieved 23-3-2018. Edited.
4. NYU, Introduction to Robotics, Page 3. Edited.