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Robotics technology is a high-tech field that integrates multiple disciplines including computer science, control theory, mechanics, information and sensor technology, artificial intelligence, and bionics. It is an area of active research and increasingly widespread application today. The application of robotics is an important indicator of a country’s level of industrial automation.Robots do not simply replace human labor in a straightforward sense; rather, they are anthropomorphic electronic mechanical devices that integrate the strengths of both humans and machines. They possess the rapid response and analytical judgment capabilities of humans, along with the ability of machines to work continuously for long periods, maintain high precision, and withstand harsh environments. In a sense, they are also products of the evolution of machines. They are important production and service devices in both industrial and non-industrial sectors, and are indispensable automation equipment in the field of advanced manufacturing technology.
Generally, robots can be divided into three generations based on their development process: the first generation is a “remote-controlled operator”; the second generation is controlled by a pre-programmed sequence to automatically repeat certain operations; the third generation is intelligent robots that utilize various sensors and measuring devices to gather environmental information, and then use intelligent technology for recognition, understanding, reasoning, and ultimately making planning decisions, enabling autonomous actions to achieve predetermined goals.This broad overview cannot adequately convey the arduous journey of robotic technology development. To specifically outline its history, one must start with the development of robots in various countries. Although the development processes of robots in different countries are interconnected, they also exhibit distinct differences. Different historical and social backgrounds have led to varied perceptions of robotics technology, resulting in different policies and outcomes, which in turn influence people’s thoughts and the development of social history.The birthplace of robots is in the United States, where the world’s first industrial robot was developed in 1962. After more than 30 years of development, the U.S. has become one of the world’s leading robotics powers, with a solid foundation and advanced technology. Looking back at its development history, the path has been tortuous and uneven.
During the 1960s to the mid-1970s, the U.S. government did not prioritize the development of industrial robots as a key project, only conducting some research work at a few universities and companies. For enterprises, seeing only immediate benefits and without government financial support, they preferred to miss out on good opportunities and stick to rigid automation devices rather than risk applying or manufacturing robots. Additionally, with unemployment rates reaching 6.65%, the government feared that developing robots would cause more job losses, leading to a strategic error in decision-making. In the late 1970s, although the U.S. government and industry began to pay attention, the technological focus remained on developing advanced robots for special fields such as military, space, ocean, and nuclear engineering, allowing Japan’s industrial robots to catch up and quickly surpass the U.S. in industrial production applications and robot manufacturing, establishing strong competitiveness in the international market.
In the 1980s, the U.S. finally recognized the urgency of the situation, and both the government and industry began to take robotics seriously, reflected in policy changes that encouraged the industrial sector to develop and apply robots. Plans were formulated, investments increased, and research funding for robots was raised, viewing robotics as a characteristic of America’s re-industrialization, leading to rapid advancements in U.S. robotics.By the mid-1980s, as major manufacturers increasingly matured in their use of robots, the technical performance of the first-generation robots no longer met practical needs. The U.S. began producing second-generation robots equipped with vision and force sensing, quickly capturing 60% of the U.S. robot market.
Despite the fact that the U.S. experienced a tortuous path of emphasizing theoretical research while neglecting applied development in the history of robotics, its robotic technology has remained at the forefront internationally, characterized by comprehensive, advanced technology and strong adaptability.In contrast, the development of robotics in the UK has been markedly different. Although Hall Automation developed its own robot, RAMP, in 1967, the British government’s Lighthall report in the early 1970s imposed strict limitations on the development of industrial robots, leading to a significant decline in the robotics industry, placing it near the bottom in Western Europe.However, the rapid global development of robotics soon made the UK government realize that the lag in robotics technology had greatly diminished its competitive edge in international markets. Consequently, from the late 1970s, the UK government adopted a supportive stance, implementing a series of policies and measures to promote robotics development, such as extensively publicizing the importance of using robots, providing financial subsidies to companies purchasing robots, and actively promoting collaboration between research institutions and enterprises, leading to a flourishing period of widespread application and vigorous research of robots in production.
This illustrates that the development of new technologies is not subject to human will; those who adapt to and develop them will achieve progress, while those who isolate themselves and restrict them will lag behind as they fail to keep pace with the times.In contrast to the UK’s lessons, France has benefited significantly by embracing and developing artificial intelligence technology early on. France not only ranks among the world leaders in the number of robots but also leads in application levels and ranges. This is largely due to the French government’s early emphasis on robotics technology, particularly focusing on applied research. The development of robotics in France has progressed smoothly, primarily due to a comprehensive scientific and technological system established through strong government-supported research programs. The government organizes basic research projects in robotics, while the industry supports application and development work, allowing robotics to quickly develop and proliferate in French enterprises.
Germany, its neighbor, ranks third globally in the total number of industrial robots, following Japan and the U.S. However, it introduced robots about five to six years later than the UK and Sweden, primarily due to the economic downturn at the start of the German robotics industry. Nevertheless, Germany’s social environment is conducive to the development of the robotics industry, as factors such as labor shortages due to war and a high national technical level provide favorable conditions for utilizing robots.
By the late 1970s, the government adopted administrative measures to promote the use of robots; the “Improving Labor Conditions Program” mandated that robots must replace ordinary laborers in hazardous, toxic, or harmful jobs. This plan opened up a wide market for robot applications and promoted the development of industrial robot technology.
The German people are practical and have always adhered to the principle of combining technology application with social needs. In addition to applying robots mainly in the automotive industry like most countries, Germany stands out for modernizing its textile industry with new production technologies, scrapping old machines, and purchasing modern automated equipment, electronic computers, and robots, which reduced costs, improved quality, and expanded the variety of products. By 1984, this revitalized what was once called a “dying industry.” Meanwhile, Germany recognized the role of advanced automation technologies like robots in industrial production, setting a goal to shift towards advanced, sensory intelligent robots after 1985. After nearly a decade of effort, Germany’s research and applications in intelligent robotics have achieved internationally recognized leadership.In contrast to the West, the former Soviet Union (mainly Russia) was also advanced in robotics technology. The exploration of robotics theory and practice began in the late 1950s, with prototype research starting in the late 1950s. In 1968, a deep-sea operation robot was successfully developed, followed by the creation of a universal robot for factories in 1971.
As early as the ninth five-year plan (1970-1975), the Soviet Union included the development of robots in its national science and technology development program. By 1975, 120 robots of 30 different models had been developed, and after 20 years of effort, the Soviet Union’s robots ranked among the world’s leaders in both quantity and quality. The state purposefully arranged for scientific and technological progress to drive social production development, systematically planning and executing robot research, production, application, and promotion.
Although the Soviet technology was advanced, it operated under a planned economy, which is typically detached from the market, preventing its technology applications from achieving the leaps seen in other Western capitalist countries. In stark contrast, Japan achieved tremendous success.
In the late 1960s, Japan was experiencing rapid economic growth, with an annual growth rate of 11%. Post-World War II, Japan faced labor shortages, which were exacerbated by high-speed economic development. Consequently, in 1967, Kawasaki Heavy Industries introduced robots and their technology from the U.S. company Unimation, establishing a production workshop and testing the first Kawasaki “Unimate” robot in 1968.Due to the significant labor shortages at the time, robots were welcomed as a “savior” in enterprises. The Japanese government adopted proactive economic policies to encourage the development and promotion of robots, further stimulating entrepreneurs’ enthusiasm for the robotics industry. Particularly, a series of economic incentives for small and medium enterprises, such as low-interest funding provided by government banks, encouraged the establishment of “long-term leasing companies for robots,” allowing companies to purchase robots and lease them to users at low monthly rates, significantly alleviating the financial burden of acquiring robots. The government also offered additional subsidies for computer-controlled teaching and reproducing robots, with enterprises enjoying discounts on new equipment typically around 40%, plus an additional 13% price subsidy. Furthermore, the state funded specialized guidance for small enterprises on applying robots, leading to rapid growth in Japan’s robotics industry. Within just over a decade, by the mid-1980s, Japan had emerged as the “robot kingdom,” leading the world in robot production and installation.
According to Yonehara Kanji, executive director of the Japan Industrial Robot Association, “The development of robots in Japan has gone through a cradle period in the 1960s, a practical period in the 1970s, and has entered a period of popularization and improvement in the 1980s.” The year 1980 was officially designated as the “Year of Popularization of Industrial Robots,” marking the beginning of widespread promotion of robots across various fields.The Japanese government and enterprises placed great trust in robots, boldly utilizing them. Robots have not disappointed expectations, playing an increasingly significant role in addressing labor shortages, improving productivity, enhancing product quality, and reducing production costs, becoming an indispensable force in Japan’s economic growth and product competitiveness.
Japan’s extensive use of robots in the automotive and electronics industries led to a dramatic increase in production and quality, significantly lowering manufacturing costs. This allowed Japanese-manufactured cars to enter the U.S. market, known as the “automobile kingdom,” with a clear price advantage, and led to the export of practical robots from Japan to the country where robots were born. At this time, affordable and high-quality Japanese household appliances flooded the U.S. market, much to the regret of “Uncle Sam.” By manufacturing and utilizing robots, Japan enhanced its national strength and reaped substantial benefits, forcing many countries, including the U.S., U.K., and France, to take measures to catch up. In the 1980s and 1990s, Japan was referred to as the world’s factory, largely thanks to its robotics technology.With the reform and opening-up, China also entered a period of rapid economic development. However, we must recognize that the competitiveness of our products today is largely due to China’s cheap labor. Yet, cheap labor cannot solve everything; the inevitable rise in living standards will lead to higher wages, which is an unavoidable trend. If we continue to “exploit” workers without developing new technologies to enhance labor capabilities, it will not be long before China’s labor resources are depleted, the economy stagnates, and we may face a regression similar to Japan’s today. Therefore, China must focus on the future and prioritize the development of robotics technology.
In recent years, the domestic and international robotics fields have shown the following trends:1. The performance of industrial robots continues to improve (high speed, high precision, high reliability, ease of operation and maintenance), while the price per unit continues to decrease.2. Mechanical structures are evolving toward modularization and reconfigurability. For example, the integration of servo motors, reducers, and detection systems in joint modules; constructing entire robots through reconfiguration of joint and link modules.3. The control systems for industrial robots are developing towards open controllers based on PCs, facilitating standardization and networking; device integration levels are increasing, control cabinets are becoming smaller and adopting modular structures; significantly improving system reliability, ease of operation, and maintainability.4. The role of sensors in robots is becoming increasingly important. In addition to traditional position, speed, and acceleration sensors, assembly and welding robots are also using vision and force sensors, while remote-controlled robots employ multi-sensor fusion technologies for environmental modeling and decision-making control; multi-sensor fusion technology has already been successfully applied in product systems.
5. The role of virtual reality technology in robotics has evolved from simulation and rehearsal to being used in process control, allowing remote-controlled robot operators to feel as if they are in the remote operating environment while controlling the robots.6. The development characteristics of contemporary remote-controlled robot systems are not focused on pursuing fully autonomous systems but rather on human-robot interaction control, forming a complete monitoring and control operation system consisting of remote control and partially autonomous systems, allowing intelligent robots to transition from laboratories to practical applications. The “Sojourner” robot sent to Mars by the U.S. is the most famous example of this system’s successful application.
China’s intelligent and special robots have also achieved significant results under the support of the “863” program. The most notable achievement is the underwater robot, with the world-leading technology of a 6000-meter deep underwater cable-free robot, as well as the development of directly remote-controlled robots, dual-arm coordinated control robots, wall-climbing robots, pipeline robots, and other models. Considerable work has been done in the development and application of foundational technologies such as robot vision, force sensing, touch, and sound, establishing a certain development foundation. However, in areas such as multi-sensor information fusion control technology, remote-controlled plus partially autonomous systems, intelligent assembly robots, and robotic machinery, development is still in its infancy, with a significant gap compared to advanced international levels. Focused systematic breakthroughs are needed on the existing achievements to form a complete system of practical technologies and products.Free spots are limited, classes start on September 13Professional skills can be learned for free, and graduates can immediately enter listed companiesThis once-in-a-lifetime opportunity may only come onceIf you meet the requirements, hurry up and sign up
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