The term robot was introduced for the first time by the Czech writer Karel Čapek, who published in the 1920 its science-fiction novel titled “R.U.R”, standing for Rossum's Universal Robots.
With first appearances in the 1960s, robots moved from literature to reality, becoming part of the early modern industrial plants, as machines designed to help and assist humans.
A robot has a shape, a mass and abilities that make it suitable for the intended use.
It must be able to automatically and independently replicate actions that humans perform, carrying out even complex jobs, without the limits imposed by the human condition. A robot might need to work even in extreme environments: low or high temperatures, low or high pressure, lack of breathable air, presence of dangerous radiations, and so on.
It is required also to be programmable, and it may be guided by an external and/or remote control or equipped by a preconfigured embedded control.
The robotics is the discipline dedicated to design and develop robots.
It is one of the most interdisciplinary sciences, including and integrating multiple fields of competence such as electrical engineering and electronics, information, software and computer engineering, mechatronics and mechanical engineering, bioengineering, control engineering, mathematics, and physics and – for the AI evolutions – also humanistic competences such as cognitive psychology and linguistics.
The relevance of the robots in our society is rapidly increasing they are performing in our behalf the most critical and/or routinary tasks.
Robots which are part of our daily experience are ranging from toys to motor vehicles, from household appliances to medical equipment, from automated pay-points to the advanced answering machines for our requests of assistance.
However, if not properly developed and carefully verified, robots might pose both safety and security threats, becoming dangerous for those humans they are meant to help.
The more complex and independent a robot or a robotic system is, the more humans interact with it or they depend on how well it works, and therefore the more it must be safe and secure.
exida is experienced in all the main robotics’ sectors - Industrial, Self-Driving Cars, Medical, Aerospace, Consumer, Education - and standards -IEC 61508, IEC 62061, ISO 13949, EN ISO 10218, ISO/TS 15066, ANSI/RIA R15.06 and IEC 62443 - which provide the rules, the process, and the methods to develop robots meeting the required safety and security levels.
exida is glad to share its competences offering its Customer training courses dedicated to this exciting and challenging topic.
