Robotics Engineering

Д. О. Березуцкая

Ю. Ю. Юрова

ROBOTICS INGINEERING

МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И НАУКИ

РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

Федеральное государственное автономное образовательное 

учреждение высшего образования

«ЮЖНЫЙ ФЕДЕРАЛЬНЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»

Инженерно-технологическая академия

Д. О. Березуцкая

Ю. Ю. Юрова

ROBOTICS INGINEERING

Учебное пособие

Ростов-на-Дону – Таганрог 

Издательство Южного федерального университета

2017

УДК 811.11 (075.8)
ББК 81.2Англ - 92

Б484

Печатается по решению редакционно-издательского совета 

Южного федерального университета

Рецензенты:

доктор педагогических наук, профессор С.Р. Балуян;
кандидат филологических наук, доцент О.Г. Мельник.

Березуцкая, Д.О.

Б484
Robotics
Engineering
: учебное пособие
/ Д.О. Березуцкая, 

Ю.Ю. Юрова ; Южный федеральный университет. – Ростов-на-Дону –
Таганрог : Издательство Южного федерального университета, 2017. –
105 с.

ISBN 978-5-9275-2399-3

Данное 
пособие 
предназначено 
для 
студентов 
специальности 

«Робототехника и мехатроника» и содержит дидактические материалы для 
формирования коммуникативной компетенции. Пособие может быть 
использовано как для аудиторной, так и для внеаудиторной работы.

УДК 811.11 (075.8)
ББК 81.2Англ - 92

ISBN 978-5-9275-2399-3
© Южный федеральный университет, 2017
© Березуцкая Д.О., Юрова Ю.Ю., 2017

Unit 1.

Exercise 1. Read and translate 
the text.

Text A. What is a Robot?

Vocabulary:

application - применение, использование

benefit - выгода; польза

overload – перегрузка

arguably - возможно, вероятно

disruptive - разрушительный, опустошительный

diffusing – рассеивающий

welding - сварка

cheetah – гепард

virtual - в сущности являющийся

artificial – искусственный

circuitry – схема

decent – подходящий

ambiguous – двусмысленный, неопределённый, неясный

to confuse - смешивать, путать

to switch up – менять

overhaul - ремонт; реконструкция

spray nozzle - разбрызгивающее сопло, распылительное сопло

precise - точный; определённый

proximity sensor - датчик ближней локации; датчик приближения

assigned task - поставленная задача

For many people who think of robots and robotics, the first thing that would 

pop into their mind would be some sort of humanoid robot, such as Terminator, or 

androids in Star Wars. Maybe you think of the robot Sunny in iRobot, or 

something along those lines. Others may think of the show Robot Wars, where 

robots face off in a ring with the goal of destroying each other. It is true that all of 

these are robots. But robots are much more than humanoids. You may not realize 

how many robots applications there truly are, and how many robots are being used 

to the benefit of society (so far). And if predictions are true, our robot overloads 

will all have us out of jobs in the next few decades, as they will be able to do 

anything better than humans – from flying aircraft, to making cars, to performing 

surgery. In fact, these applications all exist today. But in the present, robots are 

developing and arguably still a disruptive technology. In many applications, they 

are almost certainly better than us humans. Most applications are still be 

developed and perfected. For instance, robotic surgery is currently a very small 

market. Companies making surgical robots are only making them to perform 

routine and non-invasive surgeries. But how long it will be until they can perform 

open heart surgery, with the speed and precision, of, well, a robot? Even if the 

technology gets to that level, which it almost certainly would, would we be willing 

to put our lives in robotic hands?

The 3Ds: Dangerous, Dirty, and Dull

But although you may think of the more glamorous applications, many 

robots applications are based on three criteria: they do jobs that are dangerous, 

dirty, and dull.
These are known as the 3Ds. Examples of these robots 

abound. Dangerous jobs: a bomb diffusing robot would be a prime example. 

Dirty: this may be something like robotic welding in an auto factory. Dull: a robot 

that moves boxes around in an Amazon warehouse. Many jobs fit into more than 

one category. You could argue that driving a vehicle is both dull and dangerous –

a perfect task to hand off to robots (although this may fit better into the category of 

automation – discussed below). Most robots, with the exception of robotic toys, fit 

into one of the 3Ds. Maybe in the future when robots have perfected the 3D jobs, 

they will come for the rest of the jobs as well.

The Definition of ‘Robot’

This is a prime time to define exactly what a robot is. Lets look at a couple 

of dictionary definitions, as that is usually a good place to start.

Merriam-Webster:


a real or imaginary machine that is controlled by a computer and is often 

made to look like a human or animal


a machine that can do the work of a person and that works automatically or 

is controlled by a computer

The first definition is what the general public would think of when thinking 

of robots. This is a very narrow definition, and doesn’t really fit into the 3Ds. In 

most cases, why would you bother making the robot look like a human or animal 

when the job is dangerous, dirty, or dull? Unless the design of humans or animals 

is applicable to what you are doing. For instance, Boston Dynamics often mimics 

animals such as dogs and cheetahs in their designs, and some of these robots would 

be used for transportation in war-zones, which definitely meets the dangerous 

criteria. The second definition is much more along the lines of what a roboticist 

would think of when thinking of robots. Wikipedia goes into even more depth:


A mechanical or virtual artificial agent, usually an electro-mechanical 

machine that is guided by a computer program or electronic circuitry.

That is a decent definition, but it is a bit too specific, as it begins to discuss 

electro-mechanics, computer programming and electronic circuitry. It is getting 

too far ahead and instead missing some of the basics. Oxford Dictionaries says the 

following:


A machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions 

automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.

That is a good explanation, as it mentions the ‘carrying out a complex series 

of actions.’ What exactly do they mean by that statement though? What counts as 

complex? What counts as carrying out? Another from the Robotic Institute of 

America (RIA):


A reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, 

parts, tools, or specialized devices through various programmed functions 

for the performance of a variety of tasks.

This hits some key points. The only issue is with the use of the term 

manipulator, which may refer to a particular type of robot – the manipulator type, 

which is basically designed to resemble a human arm. They may have been 

mentioning manipulator in a broad sense, but it is ambiguous nonetheless. The 

best definition is probably either the RIA or Oxford definition, or some 

combination of the two. You can see the definition is really quite broad! And it is 

meant to be. Anything that you program (and can be reprogrammed for different 

tasks), is a machine, and that is designed to carry out a series of tasks can be 

considered a robot. A key part of the definition by RIA is that it is 

reprogrammable and multifunctional. This forms the basics for the distinction 

between robotics and automation, which are not the same and can be easily 

confused.

Automation versus Robotics

The main difference is this: an automated process usually cannot be changed 

or reprogrammed to do a different job with relative ease. If you wanted to switch 

up an automated process, you would likely need to do a major overhaul or build a 

separate machine altogether. For instance, if you have an automated station that 

spray paints car parts – say just a bunch of spray nozzles attached at various 

locations with everything automated and timed correctly – it would be difficult to 

modify this device to instead weld car parts. It isn’t set up for welding at 

all. Some components may be reusable, but you would essentially have to rebuild 

the entire automation device to weld parts together instead. But, if you had a robot 

manipulator – which resembles a human arm, but is usually faster, stronger, and 

more precise – you could have an attachment on it to spray paint car parts. You 

would program the correct movements and timing so that it properly painted all of 

the parts. If this robot is needed for welding instead, the company could switch out 

the end attachment to a welding device instead, and then reprogram in the correct 

movements and timing to correctly weld two parts together. The robot is 

reprogrammable and multifunctional. Just like a factory worker could be trained 

to both spray paint and weld, so could a robot manipulator. An automated process 

could not. It is difficult or impossible to reprogram an automated process to 

perform a different task.

Robots also often have sensory feedback, so that they can be trained to be 

more efficient and do their jobs better. In this sense, robots are often aware of their 

environment, whereas automated processes are often not. Robots can be 

reprogrammed to be made more efficient. Often in the case of robotic 

manipulators, sensors are used heavily. If something comes in the path of a robot, 

it will either sense the object with vision or proximity sensors, or stop moving once 

it impacts the object to prevent damage from occurring. Automated processes do 

not have this level of feedback. They will smash into whatever is in their 

path. More advanced robots may even be programmed to move around the 

obstacle in a safe way and continue on the assigned task.

Another difference between automation and robotics. A robot would be able 

to use information from its sensors, collect information about the environment, and 

make intelligent decisions based on the surroundings. This would be a form of 

Artificial Intelligence. An automated process will not do this. This is much too 

complex for an automated process, which are usually made to perform simple 

movements over and over again and will never learn from their environment or 

become more intelligent or more efficient.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. What is a Robot?

2. What three criteria are robots applications based on? 

3. How to define the term Robot?

4. What is a key part of the definition by RIA?

5. What is the main difference between automated processes and robots?

6. What else is special about robots?

Exercise 3. Mark the following sentences true or false. Correct the false ones.

1. Robots are only humanoids.

2. In the present, robots are fully developed and are absolutely safe

technology.

3. Many robots applications are based on three criteria: they do jobs that 

are safe, creative, and interesting.

4. Most robots, with the exception of robotic toys, fit into one of the 3Ds.

5. The best definition is probably either the Wikipedia or Oxford definition,

or some combination of the two.

6. A key part of the definition by RIA is that any robot is reprogrammable 

and multifunctional.

7. Robotics and automation are the same notions.

8. It is easy to reprogram an automated process to perform a different task.

9. Robots can be reprogrammed to be made more efficient.

10. Automated processes have a very high level of sensory feedback.

Exercise 4. Match each sentence with its ending.

1. If predictions are true, robots 

will all have us out of jobs in the 

next few decades, 

a.
whereas automated processes are 

often not.

2. Companies making surgical 

robots are only making them 

b.
which are not the same and can be 

easily confused.

3. Dangerous jobs: 
c.
in a safe way and continue on the 

assigned task.

4. Maybe in the future when 

robots have perfected the 3D jobs, 

d.
as they will be able to do anything 

better than humans.

5. A machine capable of 

carrying out a complex series of 

actions automatically, 

e.
and weld, so could a robot 

manipulator.

6. This forms the basics for the 

distinction between robotics and 

f.
they will come for the rest of the 

jobs as well.