機器人相關(guān)外文翻譯-機器人技術(shù)發(fā)展趨勢

1、Robotics technology trendsBy : Jim Pinto, San Diego, CA. USAWhen it comes to robots, reality still lags science fiction. But, just because robots have not lived up to their promise in past decades does not mean that they will not arrive sooner or later. Indeed, the confluence of several advanced tec

2、hnologies is bringing the age of robotics ever nearer- smaller, cheaper, more practical and cost-effectiveBrawn, Bone & BrainThere are 3 aspects of any robot:Brawn strength relating to physical payload that a robot can move.Bone the physical structure of a robot relative to the work it does; this de

3、termines the size and weight of the robot in relation to its physical payload.Brain robotic intelligence; what it can think and do independently; how much manual interaction is required.Because of the way robots have been pictured in science fiction, many people expect robots to be human-like in app

4、earance. But in fact what a robot looks like is more related to the tasks or functions it performs. A lot of machines that look nothing like humans can clearly be classified as robots. And similarly, some human-looking robots are not much beyond mechanical mechanisms, or toys.Many early robots were

5、big machines, with significant brawn and little else. Old hydraulically powered robots were relegated to tasks in the 3-D category dull, dirty and dangerous. The technological advances since the first industry implementation have completely revised the capability, performance and strategic benefits

6、of robots. For example, by the 1980s robots transitioned from being hydraulically powered to become electrically driven units. Accuracy and performance improved.Industrial robots already at workThe number of robots in the world today is approaching 1,000,000, with almost half that number in Japan an

7、d just 15% in the US. A couple of decades ago, 90% of robots were used in car manufacturing, typically on assembly lines doing a variety of repetitive tasks. Today only 50% are in automobile plants, with the other half spread out among other factories, laboratories, warehouses, energy plants, hospit

8、als, and many other industries.Robots are used for assembling products, handling dangerous materials,spray-painting, cutting and polishing, inspection of products. The number of robots used in tasks as diverse as cleaning sewers, detecting bombs and performing intricate surgery is increasing steadil

9、y, and will continue to grow in coming years.Robot intelligenceEven with primitive intelligence, robots have demonstrated ability to generate good gains in factory productivity, efficiency and quality. Beyond that, some of the smartest robots are not in manufacturing; they are used as space explorer

10、s, remotely operated surgeons and even pets like Sonys AIBO mechanical dog. In some ways, some of these other applications show what might be possible on production floors if manufacturers realize that industrial robots dont have to be bolted to the floor, or constrained by the limitations of yester

11、days machinery concepts.With the rapidly increasing power of the microprocessor and artificial intelligence techniques, robots have dramatically increased their potential as flexible automation tools. The new surge of robotics is in applications demanding advanced intelligence. Robotic technology is

12、 converging with a wide variety of complementary technologies machine vision, force sensing (touch), speech recognition and advanced mechanics.This results in exciting new levels of functionality for jobs that were never before considered practical for robots.The introduction of robots with integrat

13、ed vision and touch dramatically changes the speed and efficiency of new production and delivery systems. Robots have become so accurate that they can be applied where manual operations are no longer a viable option. Semiconductor manufacturing is one example, where a consistent high level of throug

14、hput and quality cannot be achieved with humans and simple mechanization. In addition, significant gains are achieved through enabling rapid product changeover and evolution that cant be matched with conventional hard tooling.Boosting CompetitivenessAs mentioned, robotic applications originated in t

15、he automotive industry. General Motors, with some 40-50,000 robots, continues to utilize and develop new approaches. The ability to bring more intelligence to robots is now providing significant new strategic options. Automobile prices have actually declined over the last two to three years, so the

16、only way that manufacturers can continue to generate profits is to cut structural and production costs.When plants are converted to new automobile models, hundreds of millions of dollars are typically put into the facility. The focus of robotic manufacturing technology is to minimize the capital inv

17、estment by increasing flexibility. New robot applications are being found for operations that are already automated with dedicated equipment.Robot flexibility allows those same automated operations to be performed more consistently, with inexpensive equipment and with significant cost advantages.Rob

18、otic AssistanceA key robotics growth arena is Intelligent Assist Devices (IAD) operators manipulate a robot as though it were a bionic extension of their own limbs with increased reach and strength. This is robotics technology not replacements for humans or robots, but rather a new class of ergonomi

19、c assist products that helpshuman partners in a wide variety of ways, including power assist, motion guidance, line tracking and process automation.IADs use robotics technology to help production people to handle parts and payloads more, heavier, better, faster, with less strain. Using a human-machi

20、ne interface, the operator and IAD work in tandem to optimize lifting, guiding and positioning movements. Sensors, computer power and control algorithms translate the operators hand movements into super human lifting power.New robot configurationsAs the technology and economic implications of Moores

21、 law continue to shift computing power and price, we should expect more innovations, more cost-effective robot configurations, more applications beyond the traditional “dumb-waiter” service emphasis.The biggest change in industrial robots is that they will evolve into a broader variety of structures

22、 and mechanisms. In many cases, configurations that evolve into new automation systems wont be immediately recognizable as robots. For example, robots that automate semiconductor manufacturing already look quite different from those used in automotive plants.We will see the day when there are more o

23、f these programmable tooling kinds of robots than all of the traditional robots that exist in the world today. There is an enormous sea change coming; the potential is significant because soon robots will offer not only improved cost-effectiveness, but also advantages and operations that have never

24、been possible before.Envisioning VisionDespite the wishes of robot researchers to emulate human appearance and intelligence, that simply hasnt happened. Most robots still cant see versatile and rapid objectrecognition is still not quite attainable. And there are very few examples of bipedal, upright

25、 walking robots such as Hondas P3, mostly used for research or sample demonstrations.A relatively small number of industrial robots are integrated with machine vision systems which is why its called machine vision rather than robot vision. The early machine vision adopters paid very high prices, bec

26、ause of the technical expertise needed to “tweak” such systems. For example, in the mid-1980s, a flexible manufacturing system from Cincinnati Milacron included a $900,000 vision guidance system. By 1998 average prices had fallen to $40,000, and prices continued to decline.Today, simple pattern matc

27、hing vision sensors can be purchased for under $2,000 from Cognex, Omron and others. The price reductions reflect todays reduced computing costs, and the focused development of vision systems for specific jobs such as inspection.Robots already in use everywhereSales of industrial robots have risen t

28、o record levels and they have huge, untapped potential for domestic chores like mowing the lawn and vacuuming the carpet. Last year 3,000 underwater robots, 2,300 demolition robots and 1,600 surgical robots were in operation. A big increase is predicted for domestic robots for vacuum cleaning and la

29、wn mowing, increasing from 12,500 in 2000 to almost 500,000 by the end of 2004. IBots Roomba floor cleaning robot is now available at under $200.00.In the wake of recent anthrax scares, robots are increasingly used in postal sorting applications. Indeed, there is huge potential to mechanize the US p

30、ostal service. Some 1,000 robots were installed last year to sort parcels and the US postal service has estimated that it has the potential to use up to 80,000 robots for sorting.Look around at the “robots” around us today: automated gas pumps, bank ATMs,self-service checkout lanes machines that are

31、 already replacing many service jobs.Fast-forward another few decades. It doesnt require a great leap of faith to envision how advances in image processing, microprocessor speed and human-simulation could lead to the automation of most boring, low-intelligence, low-paying jobs.Marshall Brain (yes, t

32、hats his name) founder of HowStuffWhas written a couple of interesting essays about robotics in the future, well worth reading. He feels that it is quite plausible that over the next 40 years robots will displace most human jobs. According to Brains projections, in his essay Robotic Nation, humanoid

33、 robots will be widely available by 2030. They will replace jobs currently filled by people for work such as fast-food service, housecleaning and retail sales. Unless ways are found tocompensate for these lost jobs,Brain estimates that more than 50% of Americans could be unemployed by 2055 replaced

34、by robots.New robot applications aboundAs robot intelligence increases, and as sensors, actuators and operating mechanisms become more sophisticated, other applications are now multiplying. There are now thousands of underwater robots, demolition robots and even robots used inlong-distance surgery.D

35、ozens of experimental search-and-rescue robots scoured the wreckage of the World Trade Centers collapsed twin towers. Teams of robotics experts were at Ground Zero operating experimental robots to probe the rubble and locate bodies. During the war in Afghanistan, robots were being used by the US mil

36、itary as tools for combat. They were sent into caves, buildings or other dark areas ahead of troops to help prevent casualties.A giant walking robot is used to harvests forests, moving on six articulated legs, advancing forward and backward, sideways and diagonally. It can also turn in place and ste

37、p over obstacles.At UC Berkeley, a tiny robot called Micromechanical Flying Insect has wings that flap with a rhythm and precision matched only by natural equivalents. The goal is to develop tiny, nimble devices that can, for example, surreptitiously spy on enemy troops, explore the surface of Mars

38、or safely monitor dangerous chemical spills.Robotics an exciting new development arenaThe typical Automation techie has knowledge and experience in instruments, PLCs, computers, displays, controls, sensors, valves, actuators, data-transmission, wireless, networking, etc. These are exactly the key re

39、quirements for development of robots and robotic systems. During this time of economic recession, Robotics can surely be a new arena of exciting and rewarding business development.機器人技術(shù)進展趨勢作者：Jim Pinto，加利福利亞州圣迭亞哥美國談到機器人，現(xiàn)實仍落后于科幻小說。但是，僅僅由于機器人在過去的幾十年沒有實現(xiàn)它們的承諾，并不意味著機器人的時代不會到來，或早或晚。事實上， 多種先進技術(shù)的影響已經(jīng)使得機器人

40、的時代變得更近更小、更廉價、更有用和更具成本效益。肌肉、骨骼和大腦任何一個機器人都有三方面：肌肉有效聯(lián)系有關(guān)物理荷載以便于機器人運動。骨骼一個機器人的物理結(jié)構(gòu)取決于它所做的工作；它的尺寸大小和重量則取決于它的物理荷載。大腦機器人智能；它能獨立思考和做什么；需要多少人工互動。由于機器人在科幻世界中所被描繪過的方式，很多人期望機器人在外型上與人類相像。但事實上，機器人的外形更多地取決于它所做的工作或具備的功能。很多一點兒也不像人的機器也被清楚地歸為機器人。同樣，很多看起來像人的機器卻還是僅僅屬于機械結(jié)構(gòu)和玩具。很多早期的機器人是除了有很大力氣而毫無其他功能的大型機器。老式的液壓動力機器人已經(jīng)被用來

41、執(zhí)行 3-D 任務(wù)即平淡、骯臟和危急的任務(wù)。由于第一產(chǎn)業(yè)技術(shù)的進步，完全徹底地改進了機器人的性能、業(yè)績和戰(zhàn)略利益。比如， 20 世紀 80 年月，機器人開頭從液壓動力轉(zhuǎn)換成為電動單位。精度和性能也提高了。工業(yè)機器人已經(jīng)在工作時至今日，全世界機器人的數(shù)量已經(jīng)接近 100 萬，其中超過半數(shù)的機器人在日本，而僅僅只有 15%在美國。幾十年前，90%的機器人是服務(wù)于汽車生產(chǎn)行業(yè)， 通常用于做大量重復(fù)的工作?，F(xiàn)在，只有 50%的機器人用于汽車制造業(yè)，而另一半分布于工廠、試驗室、倉庫、發(fā)電站、醫(yī)院和其他的行業(yè)。機器人用于產(chǎn)品裝配、危急物品處理、油漆噴霧、拋光、產(chǎn)品的檢驗。用于清洗下水道，探測炸彈和執(zhí)行簡單

42、手術(shù)的各種任務(wù)的機器人數(shù)量正在穩(wěn)步增加，在將來幾年內(nèi)將連續(xù)增長。機器人智能即使是原始的智力，機器人已經(jīng)被證明白在生產(chǎn)力、效率和質(zhì)量方面都能夠制造良好的效益。除此之外，一些“最聰慧的”機器人沒有用于制造業(yè)；它們被用于太空探險、外科手術(shù)遙控，甚至于寵物，比如索尼的AIBO 電子狗。從某種意義上來說，一些其他應(yīng)用表明機器人可能的用途，假如生產(chǎn)廠家生疏到這點， 工業(yè)機器人并不是要局限于某一個方面，或者受限于昨日的機械概念。伴隨著電力微處理器和人工智能技術(shù)的快速增長，大大提高機器人其潛在的彈性的自動化工具。新增加的智能機器人的應(yīng)用要求先進的智能。機器人技術(shù)正在融合各種互補技術(shù) - 機器視覺，力傳感（觸摸

43、），語音識別和高級技工。這一令人興奮的成果代表了新水平的工作應(yīng)用，比以往任何時候都認為是實際的機器人。具有綜合的視覺和觸覺的機器人的引進，極大地轉(zhuǎn)變了新的生產(chǎn)和輸送系統(tǒng)的速度和效率。機器人變得如此精確，以至于機器人可以應(yīng)用于全部手工場所已不再是一個不行能的觀點。半導體制造業(yè)就是一個例子，高度全都的吞吐量和質(zhì)量，不能靠手工或簡潔機械就能實現(xiàn)。此外，那些快速產(chǎn)品與傳統(tǒng)硬質(zhì)工具不相匹配的部分的轉(zhuǎn)換和革新已經(jīng)取得了顯著的成果。增加競爭力如上所述，機器人的應(yīng)用起源于汽車制造業(yè)。美國通用汽車已經(jīng)擁有四至五萬的機器人，仍舊堅持連續(xù)進展并運用新方法。為了使機器人更加智能化，現(xiàn)在已運用了大量新的戰(zhàn)略選擇。在過去

44、的兩三年里，汽車價格已經(jīng)下降，為了不斷制造利潤，制造商唯一的途徑就是降低結(jié)構(gòu)和生產(chǎn)成本。汽車廠想要改建新模式，通常需要投入數(shù)以億計美元來購買設(shè)備。機器人制造的技術(shù)重點是通過削減資本投入的方式以增加適用性。新的遙控技術(shù)已被發(fā)覺用在以專用設(shè)備自動作業(yè)的操作上了。它的機敏性能作業(yè)自動化發(fā)揮得更協(xié)調(diào)， 并且有很大的成本優(yōu)勢。機器人幫忙其主要的增長領(lǐng)域是智能機器人幫忙裝置（IAD）操作人員嫻熟地操作著機器人，就好像是自己的手和腳變長了，并且更有力了。這就是遙控技術(shù)，沒有人和機器人可以代替，它是有助于改造人類環(huán)境產(chǎn)品的一個新版本，多方面的掛念人類伙伴，包括動力供應(yīng)、運動導向、線路跟蹤以及程序自動化。智能機

45、器人幫忙裝置運用遙控技術(shù)掛念人們以較少的壓力，更多、更大、更好、更快地才做零部件和有效荷載。利用人類機器界面，操作員和智能機器人幫忙裝置攜手合作以優(yōu)化開放性、指導性和定位移動。傳感器、計算機動力和操控運算法則將操作員的手令轉(zhuǎn)譯成人類提升力量裝置。遙控新格局隨著科技和有摩爾定律帶來的經(jīng)濟影響將連續(xù)轉(zhuǎn)變計算機的力量和價格，我們應(yīng)當期望更多創(chuàng)新，更多更具成本效益的遙控結(jié)構(gòu)，以及更多在傳統(tǒng)服務(wù)重點之外的運用。工業(yè)遙控設(shè)備最大的變化是，它們將形成更廣泛的多種結(jié)構(gòu)和機制。在很多狀況下，牽涉到自動裝置系統(tǒng)的配置，不會馬上被認為是機器人。例如，自動操作半導體生產(chǎn)的遙控裝置已遠遠不同于那些用在汽車制造業(yè)的遙控裝置。我們會有等到那么一天，更多這類可編程加工的遙控設(shè)備會比現(xiàn)今有的傳統(tǒng)遙控設(shè)備多得多。一