CLASSIFICATION OF ROBOTS

Just as with the concept of “robot”, there is no unambiguous common opinion in relation to the classification of robots, which is why a different classification of automated machines can be found in various publications and online resources devoted to robotics. This is due to the fact that as the industry develops the robotics direction, the machines themselves change, their functional load is constantly increasing and a regular revision of their varieties is inevitable. At the moment, it is most expedient to divide all types of robots into groups according to three criteria: the type of work or task being performed, the degree of mobility, the type of control system. Let us consider in more detail each of them.

Type of work performed.

On this basis, there are 8 types of machines:

1.industrial

2. building

3. agricultural

4. transport

5. household

6. fighting

7. security

8. research

Industrial robots are designed to automate all kinds of technological operations (for example, welding, stamping, metalworking, assembling finished products, etc.) in the manufacture of any product. They are used in almost all industries (engineering, instrument making, petrochemical, metallurgy, nuclear, automotive, aviation, etc.).

Construction robots allow similarly to automate a huge number of various operations performed in the process of repairing premises or building new facilities. Considering the world construction volumes and the steady growth of the world's population, construction robotization is now highly relevant.

Agricultural robots are designed to perform time-consuming and monotonous processes in agriculture. Currently, intensive development of such robots is underway, and there are even examples of their use, for example, in Japan.

Transport robots are used, as the name implies, for the automatic movement of goods, or for autonomous control of various vehicles. Transport robots are self-propelled carts, autopilots, etc.

Household robots. This type of robot is used in everyday life and offices. A vivid example of a household automated machine is a robotic vacuum cleaner that has gained decent popularity. Communicative robots can also be attributed to household robots, providing the effect of the presence of people distant from each other, or capable of independently conducting a dialogue with a person, and, of course, numerous robot toys intended for entertainment and educational purposes in the field of robotics. In the future, more functional systems are expected to emerge that can perform more complex household tasks such as washing dishes, washing dirty laundry, cooking, etc.

Combat (military) robots are designed to bring armed conflicts to a qualitatively different level and are designed to minimize direct human participation in hostilities in order to reduce or eliminate all casualties, as well as to work in conditions incompatible with human capabilities for military purposes. There are as many types of combat robots as combat missions for military units: remote-controlled unmanned aircraft (helicopters) - reconnaissance, underwater vehicles and surface ships, miner robots, sapper robots, patrol robots, military ammunition robots. Due to the complexity of the tasks assigned to them, modern combat robots are controlled by the operator, but fully autonomous combat robots are being developed with artificial intelligence capable of deciding, but what can not but cause numerous disputes between supporters and opponents of these machines in the legal field in determining responsibility for actions of combat robots and their consequences.

Security robots are tasked to protect the entrusted territories or premises. In the simplest case, these robots patrol protected perimeters and, in case of fixing the intrusion of intruders, signal it to duty operators. Recently, there is a tendency to equip robotic guards with non-lethal weapons.

Research robots are used to collect all kinds of information about the objects studied, its processing and transfer to the operator. Objects can be the most diverse: the surface of the planets, underwater space, underground mines, caves, cavities of exploited pipelines, contaminated terrain and other areas difficult for humans.

Type of management.

There are three classes:

1. Operated by the operator.

2. Semi-autonomous.

3. Autonomous.

Operator-controlled robots are not able to independently think, make decisions and even make their own calculations. In fact, it’s just remotely or directly controlled machines. This category of robots includes copying movements of the control bodies of robots (simple manipulators or android-type robots), exoskeletons, robots controlled by humans from the control panel.

The copying robots necessarily have a specifying authority, similar to the executive one (with a scale in size and effort), a system for transmitting control signals and feedback signals, and display facilities for the operator of the operating environment of the robot. As a result, the movement of the setting body, performed by the operator, is copied with the specified body by the executive body by means of tracking systems.

Exoskeletons are anthropomorphic structures that are usually attached to the moving parts of the human body, and which copy their movements with a simultaneous increase in the generated effort. Currently, the active use of exoskeletons in medicine for the rehabilitation of people with spinal injuries and other illnesses leading to loss of ability to move independently has been initiated. At the same time, experiments are being conducted on the use of exoskeletons for loading and unloading operations that require great effort.

Robots controlled from the control panel. Probably, everyone is familiar with this principle - by the example of radio-controlled toy models. On the remote - a system of keys or handles and means of displaying information. The movement of the robot is set by a person from the control panel through an actuator system.

In semi-automatic robots, manual control is combined with automatic. It is used when it is impossible to rigidly program all the necessary operations in advance, and equipping the robot with artificial intelligence is inexpedient or impossible. Robots that perform a specific programmed set of actions are semi-automatic, but there is a need for the operator to intervene to provide him with additional information (for example, using target designation, specifying the required sequence of actions, etc.).

Autonomous robots are, as the name suggests, robots programmed to act independently, without human intervention. To such machines can be attributed as industrial robots engaged in the implementation of a sequence of technological operations, and machines with high-grade artificial intelligence. The ultimate option for autonomous robots are androids or cyborg, which are the heroes of numerous science fiction films. Obviously, this particular class of machines is the apogee of the development of robotics and, with widespread distribution, will allow us to fully take care of all our daily household chores and simply be an indispensable assistant in any matters.

Degree of mobility.

According to the degree of mobility there are two classes:

1. Stationary.

2. Mobile.

The most important classes of multi-purpose robots are handling and mobile robots.

A manipulation robot is an automatic machine (stationary or mobile) consisting of an actuating device in a video manipulator having several degrees of mobility, and a software control device that serves to perform motor and control functions in the production process. Such robots are made in floor , suspended and portal versions. Gained the greatest distribution in the engineering and instrument-making industries.

A mobile robot is an automatic machine in which there is a moving chassis with automatically controlled drives. Such robots can be wheeled , walking and tracked (there are also crawling , floating and flying mobile robotic systems, see other article)