Is An Industrial Robot Considered A Robot?

1. Industrial Robots vs. Humans - Control Systems vs. Brain
The control system of industrial robots is its core component, similar to the human brain, responsible for processing instructions, sensing the environment, planning motion trajectories, and executing tasks. Control systems typically consist of hardware and software, including industrial computers, teaching devices, servo controllers, and so on. The main functions of the control system include:
1. Environmental perception: Obtaining external information through sensors such as vision, force perception, touch, etc., so that robots can adapt to changing environmental conditions.
2. Motion planning: Based on the set program or real-time feedback, plan the robot's motion trajectory and action sequence to ensure that it can complete complex tasks.
3. Human computer interaction: Through devices such as teaching aids and operation panels, staff can program and debug robots.
4. Real time feedback: The control system ensures that the robot can adjust its actions in a timely manner during task execution through a real-time feedback loop, avoiding errors or malfunctions.
The control system of industrial robots is responsible for providing the functions of the robot's "brain" to help the robot "think" about job tasks.
2. Industrial robots vs humans - ontology structure vs body
The structure of a robot body usually consists of a hand (end effector), wrist, arm, waist, and base. These parts work together to enable robots to complete complex homework tasks. Typically, articulated mechanical structures with 4-6 degrees of freedom are used. Among them, 3 degrees of freedom are used to determine the position of the end effector, and the other 1 or 3 degrees of freedom are used to determine the direction (posture) of the end effector. This distribution of degrees of freedom enables robots to flexibly perform various tasks in three-dimensional space.
① Hand (end effector)
The hand is the part of a robot that performs specific tasks, usually installed at the end of the robotic arm. It can be a tool such as a gripper, suction cup, welding gun, wrench, spray gun, etc., which can be replaced according to the needs of the application scenario. The function of the hand is to directly interact with the target object, such as grasping, welding, spraying, etc.
② Wrist
The wrist connects the hand and arm, and its main function is to change the spatial direction of the hand, thereby achieving more flexible operation. The wrist typically has 1 to 3 degrees of freedom, used to adjust the posture of the end effector. The design of the wrist needs to consider its stiffness and stability to ensure the accuracy of the robot during task execution.
③ Arm part
The arm is a component that connects the waist and wrist, mainly responsible for changing the spatial position of the hand. The arm is usually composed of an upper arm and a lower arm, which achieve rotational and swinging movements through joints. The range of motion of the arm determines the size and flexibility of the robot's workspace. The structural forms of the arm are diverse, commonly including Cartesian coordinates, cylindrical coordinates, polar coordinates, and joint coordinates.
④ Waist
The waist connects the arm and base, and can usually rotate to change the direction of the entire robot's operation. The range of motion of the waist directly affects the accessibility of the robot in the workspace. In some robots, the waist may merge with the arms to form a unified motion mechanism.
⑤ Base
The base is the supporting part of the robot, which plays a role in fixing and stabilizing. The base can be fixed or mobile, depending on the application scenario of the robot. The design of the base needs to consider its load-bearing capacity and stability to ensure the safety and reliability of the robot during operation.
3. Industrial Robots vs. Humans - Drive Systems vs. Muscles
The driving system of industrial robots is their power source, equivalent to the muscle system of the human body, responsible for converting energy into mechanical motion. According to different driving methods, the driving system of industrial robots can be divided into three types: electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic.
① Electric drive: Powered by motors such as stepper motors, DC servo motors, and AC servo motors, it has the advantages of fast response speed, high control accuracy, and compact structure, and is widely used in industrial robots. Robots like BORUNTE mostly use electric drive. By using servo motors and reducers to convert speed and torque, the output capability and stability of the robot can be improved.
② Hydraulic Drive: Powered by hydraulic cylinders, it has the advantages of strong load capacity and smooth motion, suitable for heavy-duty handling and precision machining tasks.
③ Pneumatic drive: Powered by cylinders, it has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, and fast response, and is suitable for light load and high-speed motion scenarios.
Taking electric drive as an example, robot drive systems typically include motors, reducers, transmission mechanisms, and actuators. The motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, the reducer reduces the speed and increases the torque, and the transmission mechanism (such as step belts, gears, etc.) transmits power to various joints of the robot, ultimately achieving motion through the actuator.
Servo motors have the characteristics of high precision, high speed, and high torque, which can achieve closed-loop control of position, speed, and torque, thus overcoming the problem of stepping motor loss. In addition, servo motors are often combined with encoders to form closed-loop control systems for precise position control.
The reducer plays a role in reducing the speed and increasing the torque in the robot drive system. At present, the mainstream types of reducers include RV reducers and harmonic reducers.
RV reducers have high stiffness and rotational accuracy, making them suitable for heavy load positions such as bases, waist, and boom. Its internal structure is complex, achieved through multi-stage gear meshing for deceleration, and monitored by the current signal of the servo motor.
Harmonic reducers are suitable for small load positions such as the forearm and wrist, with high precision and compact structure.
The connection method between the motor and the reducer is usually the reducer shaft or the wave generator. For example, in an RV gearbox, the main shaft of the servo motor is connected to the sun gear, while the harmonic gearbox is connected to the output shaft of the motor through a wave generator. This connection method ensures the stability and accuracy of power transmission.
In addition, there are some robot "sensor systems" that help robots have the same vision and force perception as humans, in order to better perform tasks.
Speaking of which, although industrial robots may not look like the robots we imagine, they possess the same "brain," "body," and "muscles" as humans, and are 100% classified as robots.