Robotics
Viewpoints
2023
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
2022
-
December/January:
2022: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2023 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
Industrial-Robot Density Has Doubled during the Past Five Years
2021
-
December/January:
2021: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2022 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
Condition-Based Maintenance for Industrial Robots
Areas to Monitor: Industrial Robots -
February:
The Robotics Skill Gap in Manufacturing
General Constraints: Industrial Robots
Archived Viewpoints
2020
-
December/January:
2020: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2021 -
November:
-
October:
Robots' Role in Commercial Use of Space
Demand Factors for Service Robots -
September:
Expanding Use Cases for Teleoperated Robots
Big Picture: Teleoperation -
August:
-
July:
Robot Applications during a Pandemic
Boston Dynamics Begins Commercialization -
June:
The Pandemic Crisis: Scenarios for the Future of AI and Automation
Scenarios Presentation: The Pandemic Crisis: Scenarios for the Future of Technology Development
-
May:
The Pandemic Crisis: Key Forces That Will Shape the Future of AI and Automation
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
Autonomous-Vehicle Slowdown and AI Challenges
Living Machines from Frog Cells
2019
-
December/January:
2019: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2020 -
November:
Industrial Robots: Market Update
Service Robots: Market Update -
October:
Robotics for Waste and End-of-Life Processing
Machine Tending Drives Cobot Growth -
September:
Quadruped Robots Sprint Ahead
DARPA's Subterranean Challenge -
August:
Next-Generation Cobots and Veo Robotics
Facebook's Robotics Research -
July:
Assistive Surgical Robots for Orthopedics
Combining Deep Learning and Physics-Based Controllers -
June:
-
May:
Wing Aviation Gains Regulatory Approval
Tesla's Negative Outlook for Lidar -
April:
-
March:
Interactions between Humans and Autonomous Robots
Improving Control Systems for Wearable Robots -
February:
2018
-
December/January:
2018: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2019 -
November:
Industrial Robots: Market Update
Service Robots: Market Update -
October:
-
September:
Randomized Simulations for Dexterous Learning
Drones in the Entertainment Industry -
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
Drone Start-Ups Target Commercial Software and Services
Capsule Networks -
March:
-
February:
2017
-
December/January:
-
November:
-
October:
-
September:
Extensive Digital Maps for Robots
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems -
August:
Auto Manufacturers Embrace Semiautonomous Technology
Robots Revolutionize Construction -
July:
-
June:
Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities of Industrial Robots
Progress at OpenAI -
May:
US and EU Investments in Advanced Automation
Drones Powered by Hydrogen Fuel Cells -
April:
Robots and Employment
Boston Dynamics Shifts to Commercialization -
March:
Trickle Down of Autonomous-Vehicle Technology
Domestic Social Robots -
February:
Additive Metal Manufacturing of Robotic Components
Delivery Robots
2016
-
December/January:
2016: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2017 -
November:
Industrial Robots: Market Update
Service Robots: Market Update -
October:
Police Robots: Beyond Bomb Disposal
Progress toward Artificial Muscles -
September:
Deep Learning through Simulated Training
Advances in Robotic Localization and Navigation -
August:
Robot-Specific Processors
Assistive Exoskeletons for Workers -
July:
Autonomous Surgical Robots
Robots for Underwater Infrastructure -
June:
Safety Specifications for Collaborative Robotics
Soft Robotics -
May:
-
April:
Cloud Robotics: Watson Case Study
Robotics and Automation in the Fast-Food Industry -
March:
-
February:
2015
-
December/January:
2015: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2016 -
November:
Autonomous Vehicles: Driving Beyond Liability Roadblocks
Drone Registration -
October:
Industrial Robots: Market Growth
Service Robots: Market Growth -
September:
-
August:
Nonmalicious Drone Disruptions
Commercial Sales of SoftBank's Pepper -
July:
New Mobile Manipulators
Concluding the DARPA Robotics Challenge -
June:
Google's Robot-Surgery Partnership with Johnson & Johnson
Networked Robots in Warfare -
May:
Accelerated Robotization in China
Social Robots in the Service Industry -
April:
Drone Regulatory Challenges
Advancing Disaster-Recovery Robots -
March:
Haptic Feedback for Prosthetics
Regional Robot-Population Surges -
February:
New Entrants in Robotic Agriculture
Jibo: Investing in a Simpler Vision for Personal Robots
2014
-
December/January:
2014: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2015 -
November:
Industrial Robotics: Market Update
Service Robotics: Market Update -
October:
Opposing Views about Driverless Vehicles
Commercial Drone Variety: From Delivery to Disneyland -
September:
Service Robots: Influencing Industrial Automation
Hospitality-Robot Trials -
August:
Autonomous Trucks on Public Roads
Update on Medical-Exoskeleton Development -
July:
Flying Regardless of Regulations: US Commercial Drones
Commercial Personal Robots -
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
2013
-
December/January:
2013: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2014 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
Harvest Automation Jump-Starts Robotic Cultivation
Exoskeletons Coming of Age -
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
2012
-
December/January:
2012: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2013 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
2011
-
December/January:
2011: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2012 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
2010
-
December/January:
2010: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2011 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
Lifeguard Robots
A Commercial Exoskeleton
Robot Soldiers in the DMZ
Telepresence Robots, Concluded -
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
2009
-
December/January:
2009: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2010 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
Wearable Robots: Developing Fast
Recent Developments: Robots and Intelligent Buildings -
February:
2008
-
December/January:
2008: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2009 -
November:
The Bio-Robotics Interface
Recent Developments: New LEGO Robot Programming Tool -
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
Agricultural Robots Take Root
Recent Developments: Wii Remote for Robots -
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
2007
-
December/January:
2007: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2008 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
Recent Developments in Brain-Machine Interfaces
Opportunities for Robotics in Mining Applications -
March:
-
February:
2006
-
December/January:
2006: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2007 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
Recent Developments: Novel Artificial Muscles for Robots | ABB's Unit to China
-
April:
-
March:
Recent Developments: Robotics in China | Robots and Dishwashers
-
February:
2005
-
December/January:
2005: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2006 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
Recent Developments: South Korea Continues to Push Robotics Industry | Roborior: Toy or Tool?
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
The Media Face of Robotics
Recent Developments: Wow Wee Set to Wow with Low-End Leisure Robots?
2004
-
December/January:
2004: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2005 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
Robotic Backlash
Recent Developments: Toyota to Use More Robots
2003
-
December/January:
2003: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2004 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
Recent Developments in Teleoperation
Recent Developments: Robots for Flexibility -
August:
Snakelike Robot Arm
Recent Developments: Security Robots to Take Off at Los Angeles Airport -
July:
Key Surgical-Robot Makers
Recent Developments: Japanese Company to Develop Fuel-Cell–Powered Robot -
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
Recent Developments in Human-Robot Interaction
Recent Developments: New Lightweight Composite Robot -
February:
2002
-
December/January:
2002: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2003 -
November:
Robotic Friction-Stir Welding
Recent Developments: Industrial Robots in China -
October:
Mushroom-Picking Robot
Robot Vacuum Cleaners Finally on the U.S. Market -
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
2001
-
December/January:
2001: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2002 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
2000
-
December/January:
2000: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2001 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
1999
-
December/January:
1999: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2000 -
November:
-
October:
Domestic Robots
Recent Developments: Robotic Vision System on a Chip -
September:
-
August:
-
Before August 1999, the Explorer service was called TechMonitoring, and Viewpoints were TechLinks.
-
July:
-
June:
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
1998
-
December/January:
1998: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 1999 -
November:
-
October:
Machine Vision for Robotics
Recent Developments: Robot with Machine Vision for Manufacture of Brakes -
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
Robotics in the Construction Industry
Recent Developments: New Generation of Cyberguard Robots -
May:
-
April:
Emerging Market for Refurbished Robots
Recent Developments: Progress in Surgical Robots -
March:
-
February:
1997
-
December/January:
1997: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 1998 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
-
July:
-
June:
Bringing Space Down to Earth: The Changing Context of Space Robotics
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
Paint-Robot Renaissance | Simulation Software for Marketing Robots | Robotic Refueling System
-
February:
1996
-
December/January:
1996: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 1997 -
November:
-
October:
-
September:
-
August:
Robot Victory over Hard Automation | Singapore Robotics Progress | Automation of Sewing
-
July:
Laser Welding and the Automotive Industry | Laser Optical-Triangulation Sensor
-
June:
Robotics Market Review | Robot Lavatory Cleaner | Robot Tractor | Advanced Robot from China
-
May:
-
April:
-
March:
-
February:
-
December/January:
1995: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 1996
About Robotics
Robotic systems perform physical manipulations loosely based on human abilities. The strict definition of robots requires that those manipulations be programmable or performable autonomously or by programmable teleoperation. The International Federation of Robotics classifies robots in two ways: manipulating industrial robots and others. According to the IFR, a manipulating industrial robot is an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose, manipulative machine with three or more reprogrammable axes that users may either fix in place or make mobile for industrial-automation applications. In manufacturing, robots improve quality and productivity by reducing process variance and lowering total production costs. In other industries, a robot is a machine that users can program to perform manipulative and in some cases locomotive tasks under automatic control. In many applications, both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing, robots free humans from hazardous, noisy, strenuous tasks, or they operate where humans simply cannot.
More than 3 million industrial robots are in daily operation around the world, and the market for industrial robots continues to increase. In manufacturing, robots can be a core technology of flexible manufacturing or computer-integrated manufacturing. As computer processors increase in power and decrease in cost, robots will provide increasing flexibility and operate more autonomously than current robots do. Such capabilities will broaden future robots' applications into such areas as logistics, defense, medicine, personal assistance, construction, cooperating robotic teams, and many others that require sophisticated operation.
Manufacturing companies will continue to benefit from evolutionary developments in robotic systems and related technologies. Service-industry applications of robots is an emerging area, and service industries are likely to see further benefits from the technology within the next decade. Logistics robots are revolutionizing the way e-commerce companies prepare and handle packages. Military applications will drive the development of many mobile robots. At the more experimental stage, various research groups envision soft robotic technologies playing crucial roles in healthcare and human-robot interfaces. Questions remain about the range of applications for such robots: Homes have become increasingly mechanized, and robots may be an unnecessary addition to people's living environments. Researchers and large manufacturers continue to develop advanced personal robots, especially in Japan. Such robots may start to have significant impacts on people's lives in the next 15 to 20 years.