Mobile robots are automatic machine capable of moving around in their environment and is not fixed to any particular location. It is one of the greatest inventions of humankind. It is considered a sub-field of robotic and information engineering that gained popularity in the industrial, commercial, and medical sectors. Its functions include exploration (locomotion only), transport of payloads, or more complex tasks to perform with onboard systems.
Robots can mainly walk, roll, jump, run, slide, skate, swim, and fly. According to their locomotion system, they can be stationary, land-based, air-based, water-based, and others.
Types Of Mobile Robots:
Mobile robotics is one of the fastest-expanding fields of scientific research. Due to their abilities, mobile robots can substitute humans in many fields. They are of two types:
Autonomous Mobile Robots:
An autonomous mobile robot is a type of robot that can understand and move around independently, just like humans. AMRs use sophisticated sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to plan and navigate efficiently. They are equipped with cameras and sensors that can easily avoid unfavourable conditions and complete their work perfectly.
Non-autonomous Mobile Robots:
A guided or non-autonomous mobile robot requires some guidance system or instruction to move to a controlled environment.
Top Places Where Mobile Robots Are Used:
In 2019, the field of robotics advanced across all areas, from manufacturing to retail, and we can see a remarkable change due to technology. Yet there is so much to offer. Amazon plans to use 120000 robots by the end of this year, and the global market for robots will increase drastically.
1. Medical Facilities:
Mobile robots can help attend to patients, grab medical supplies, answer doctors’ calls, assist in surgeries, and even disinfect the surgery rooms. hence, they can reduce this tedious work and provide consistent quality of care and affection.
For instance, The Texas Medical Research Innovation Institute has tested ABB’s YUMi two-armed mobile robot.
2. Agriculture and Farming
Farmers have used mobile robots in the past year to maintain, measure, and harvest their fields. They help to handle pest infestation, measure soil quality, and harvest fruits and vegetables that have improved crop yield.
3. Warehousing and Order Fulfillment
Many steps are now automated from the factory to dispatching the order. Many mobile robots deal in the supply chain and logistics department. In addition to the retailers like eBay, Shopify, and Walmart, customers can benefit from this. They include precise e-commerce order fulfillment, fast dispatch, and low shipping prices.
4. Package Delivery
For some time, companies such as Amazon, FedEx, UPS, etc., have been using drones for local package deliveries. In addition, mobile robots and drones have sped up the delivery process and impacted the environment by reducing heavy trucks on roads.
5. Education
A wide variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) kits inspire young kids and help them learn how to code. As technology is emerging, many more new educational applications appear daily. Many robots are designed for use in academic sectors. They also help the children to learn new concepts and play games with them.
6. Disaster Recovery and Emergency Service
Mobile robots can enter places where humans cannot in case of an emergency or a disaster. They can survive direct exposure to chemicals, heat, and flames. From underwater recovery and firefighting to ambulatory operations, autonomous robots can help to save human lives.
Conclusion:
The future of mobile robots is bright based on the data provided. Technology offers many opportunities as it can play a role in industries and different fields. From customer service to disaster recovery, mobile robots are going to play a starring role in our future.
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