History and Definition of Robots

Handling operations occur in practically all production processes. At first they were carried out manually, but then the development of hardware components made it possible to relieve people from the necessity of handling heavy loads.

From this standpoint the industrial robot is not something supernatural. It is only the most perfect form of the technique used in handling processes. Their purpose is not only to substitute or imitate manual actions of human beings, but also to perform production processes more quickly and better than a man.

Robots fill the gap between special-purpose automation and human endeavour. They have demonstrated an ability to perform work that requires simple repetitive motions and, therefore, can relieve human operators from hazardous or monotonous tasks.

Terms like "teachable" and "programme-controlled" often are applied to robots. However, robots are best understood in terms of their real capabilities. Essentially, they are "off-the-shelf automation. It's the robot's ability to be easily taught or reprogrammed that distinguishes it from other types of automated handling equipment.

Robot is one of the very few Slav words (in this case Czech) borrowed in the different languages. It comes from the Old Slav word "robu", which means a servant. In modern Slav, the word "robotnik" means workman and is linked to the Russian word for work "robota".