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ROBOTIC EXPLORERS
The most famous robotic explorers
have been ones that have actually
done their work in outer space — the
Mars rovers Sojourner, Curiosity, and
Opportunity. The ten-kilogram
Sojourner rover,
for example, was able
to move freely on the Martian surface,
perform rock and
soil analyses, and
transmit its findings
back to Earth.
INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS
Industrial robots are usually the least
impressive to look at. That’s because they
are often constructed specifically to perform
just one task over and over. For example, a
tool such as a claw might be permanently
installed on a robotic arm. Industrial robots
are used in the automobile industry for such
things as
welding.
LEGGED ROBOTS
Legged robots are able to move with the help of legs. Usually, they have
four or six legs so they don’t tip over so easily.
ROBOTIC TRANSPORTERS
These “workhorses” are already being
used for many tasks. For example, they
can pick up boxes all by themselves,
transport them, and put them
down again (see the
“Check it out” section
starting on page 75).
HUMANOID ROBOTS
“Humanoid” is a term
meaning human-like. For a
long time, humanoid robots
only existed in the fantasy
worlds of science fiction
books and movies. One
reason for that is that
designing something to mov
e on two legs is not as
simple as you might think. B
ut the basic problem
has been solved for a few ye
ars. That means that
robots such as Honda’s
ASIMO
are able to move
around all by themselves an
d perform chores
with their artificial arms an
d hands.
13
The Robotic Arm