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Robotics: 7 facts you need to know

The field of robotics is replete with surprising facts. Originating from a utopian vision, this concept has evolved into tangible reality, taking shape as diverse automated solutions—ranging from industrial robots and service robots to humanoids and collaborative robots. Yet, the journey of robotics is far from reaching its pinnacle.

Michael Davis

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Below are seven stunning facts about robotics. Let’s explore its origins, delve into the varied applications of robots, and uncover the growing success of robotic technology in the pharmaceutical industry.

Fact 1: The definition of robotics is older than robots themselves

In the realm of robotics, the definition emerged before the technology itself became a reality. What began as a utopian literary concept—machines performing specific tasks originally done by humans—has since been brought to life. Today, robots are widely deployed to replace human labor in repetitive and strenuous tasks across industries such as construction, automotive manufacturing, industrial production, and healthcare.

While robots are designed to outperform humans in terms of strength and efficiency, human characteristics serve as models for their construction. Depending on the robot type and its intended application, they may be engineered to mimic vision, touch, or the ability to detect temperature variations.

Furthermore, a robot’s control system is determined by its future task requirements. There are remotely controlled robots and robotic systems integrated with artificial intelligence (AI). The latter are programmed to carry out tasks independently without the need for an external control source.

Fact 2: The history of robotics roots in fiction

The history of robotics is multifaceted, with the field evolving on multiple fronts. While the idea of intelligent machines dates back to Homer’s Iliad (800 B.C.), the term “robot” was first coined in Karel Čapek’s 1920 play Rossum’s Universal Robots, referring to machines capable of working twice as hard as humans.

Čapek derived the word “robot” from “robota,” which means “to work” in Polish. However, the American science fiction author Isaac Asimov—writer of The Robot Series (1940-1995), a collection of 37 short stories—is most widely recognized for popularizing the term.

Fact 3: There are five fields of robotics

Robots possess a range of key attributes, and five core fields of robotics drive their success. These are outlined below:

Operations in hazardous environments: Robots can replace human workers in environments that pose risks to human safety. An operator interface acts as a bridge between humans and robots, enabling communication. For effective interaction, control devices must be user-friendly and adopt a hands-on design.
Transport and locomotion: Another major advantage of robotics is the ability to transport items or move through specific areas. Depending on the robot type and purpose, mobile robots often mimic human movements—such as robotic arms. Other models that require environmental interaction (e.g., prototypes for space missions) rely on wheels or alternative locomotion mechanisms.
Interaction with the environment: To perform specific tasks, robots need to interact with their surroundings, which requires equipping them with effectors and manipulators. These can take various forms: humanoid hands for grasping and moving objects, or pinch mechanisms in industrial automation systems for handling heavy items.
Precise execution of commands: While it may seem self-evident, every robot must accurately execute the commands it receives. As such, programming is one of the most critical aspects of robotics and a rapidly evolving area within computer science. Traditional programming methods are preconfigured and static, but some robots use deep learning algorithms to approach tasks. However, human commands remain essential—even advanced robots rely on programming and often lack full autonomous decision-making capabilities (though robotics research is focused on optimizing robotic decision-making processes).
Gathering of information: To collect data about their operating environment, robots require sensory and perception capabilities. Depending on their intended use, they may be equipped with sensors for computer vision, temperature detection, or other environmental cues.

Fact 4: 9 types of robotics can be distinguished

While some categories may overlap or be difficult to differentiate, nine main types of robotics are commonly recognized:

Industrial robots
Collaborative robots (cobots)
Mobile robots
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
Service robots
Nanorobots
Humanoid robots
Educational robots
Medical robots

Robotics solution manufacturers often specialize in one or more of these types and are located worldwide. Examples include European companies like Germany’s ESSERT Robotics and the UK’s CKF, as well as American firm ATI Industrial Automation, China’s Pudu Technologies, and Japan’s FANUC.

Cobot – more than a robot

The term “cobot” (short for collaborative robot) is relatively new, referring to robots that work alongside humans to support their tasks without the need for safety barriers. Designed to share workspaces, cobots are typically much smaller than industrial robots and easy to operate. The key difference between cobots and industrial robots is that industrial robots are autonomous machines that usually require minimal human interaction.

Depending on their design, cobots can perform a wide range of tasks. To help manufacturers maintain flexibility in small-scale production, solutions from ESSERT Robotics can be integrated with equipment for different production stages and facilitate human-robot collaboration.

Fact 5: The applications of robots are constantly increasing

As demand for automated solutions grows—driven by labor shortages and increasing competitiveness across industries—robotics applications are expanding in tandem. The global robotics market value is projected to reach USD 38.24 billion in 2024, with service robots accounting for the largest share of automation solutions.

The adoption of robot technology has proven beneficial in terms of efficiency, consistency, and profitability. Robots are used in diverse industries, including space exploration, construction, food production, electronics, automotive manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals, to name a few.

Robots in manufacturing

The future of robotics in manufacturing is continuously evolving. Beyond assembly, packaging, dispensing, and material transportation, robots can now be used for quality control thanks to advanced sensory features and actuators. Control systems that provide real-time malfunction alerts to workers also enhance production reliability.

Robotic automation in the pharmaceutical industry

Robotics has numerous applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Robots can perform medical functions such as rehabilitation and physiotherapy, and can even be deployed as exoskeletons or artificial limbs.

In pharmaceutical production—where consistency and quality control are paramount—robots are used for quality inspections, temperature monitoring, documentation, medical device assembly, and aseptic dispensing/filling processes (e.g., pipetting).

Fact 6: Robots in pharma are no longer limited to LMHV production

While automation was once restricted to low-mix/high-volume (LMHV) production, new flexible and adaptable automation solutions are now being deployed in high-mix/low-volume (HMLV) applications as well.

In small-scale production scenarios—such as clinical trials for research institutions or the manufacturing of personalized medicine—manufacturers can benefit from flexible robotics solutions that can adapt to changing market demands.

Demographic shifts, including workers entering the workforce later in life, have created a gap in small-scale pharmaceutical production that robotics can fill. By taking over strenuous tasks, robots allow workers to focus on more high-value work.

Fact 7: Modularity and flexibility in robotics are key

Requirements in the pharmaceutical industry can change rapidly, posing ongoing challenges for manufacturers. Producers must be able to respond to customer demands and scale production up or down as needed.

Modularity and flexibility are particularly critical in light of industry trends such as personalized medicine production. This field is highly customer-centric and primarily involves small-batch manufacturing, requiring manufacturers to seamlessly switch between development and production modes. As a result, automated solutions that can be adapted to each production stage are essential.

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