How is the industrial robot developed to this point?
Industrial robot definition: industrial robot is a mechanical device of multi joint robot for industrial areas or more degrees of freedom, it can automatically perform the work, is a machine controlled by its own power and ability to achieve the various functions. It can accept human command, can also be run in accordance with the pre arranged procedures, modern industrial robots can also be based on the principles of artificial intelligence technology program guidelines.
George Diwo applied for a patent for the first robot in 1954 (awarded in 1961). The first company production of the robot is Unimation, and Joseph F. Engelberger founded by Diwo in 1956, and is based on the original patent diwo. The Unimation robot is also called programmable machines, because their main purpose is to transfer from one point to another object, less than ten feet apart. They use hydraulic actuators and are incorporated into the joint coordinates, that is, the angle of each joint in the storage and playback operations in a teaching phase. They are accurate to an inch of 1 / 10000. The technology licensing Unimation, Kawasaki heavy industries and manufacturing GKN, Unimates respectively in Japan and the United kingdom. For a long time Unimation only competitor is the United States of Cincinnati Milacron Ohio. This fundamentally changed in the late 1970s, several large consortium of Japan began to produce similar industrial robots.
In 1969, Victor Scheinman at the Stanford University invented the design of the arm of the Stanford University, an all electric, 6 axis multi joint robot designed to allow an arm solution. This makes it possible to accurately track arbitrary paths in space and broaden the potential use of robots for more complex applications such as assembly and welding. Scheinman designed the second arm MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, known as the arm of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology." Schine Mann, receiving a scholarship from Unimation after his design development, design with Unimation to sell those who support their further development, general motors, and it was listed on the programmable universal machine assembly (PUMA).
The study of modern robots began in the middle of the twentieth Century, the technical background is the development of computer and automation, as well as the development and utilization of atomic energy.
Since the advent of the first digital computer in 1946, the computer has made amazing progress toward the direction of high speed, large capacity and low price.
The urgent need of mass production to promote the development of automation technology, one of the results is the birth of CNC machine tools in 1952. The research on the control and mechanical parts of the CNC machine tools has laid the foundation for the development of the robot.
On the other hand, the harsh environment of the atomic energy laboratory requires some operating machinery to replace the radioactive material. In the context of this demand, the United States Atomic Energy Commission of the Argonne Institute in 1947 to develop a remote manipulator, in 1948 and the development of mechanical master-slave manipulator.
In 1954 the U. s.wear Wal Mart proposed the concept of industrial robots, and apply for a patent. The key point of the patent is to control the joint of the robot with the aid of the servo technology, and the robot can realize the action recording and reproduction. This is the so-called teaching playback robot. Almost all existing robots use this control.
As the earliest practical models of robot products (teach reproduction) is the 1962 U.S. AMF push VERSTRAN and UNIMATION company launched the UNIMATE". The control methods of these industrial robots are similar to those of numerical control machine tools, but they are different in shape.
In 1965, MIT Roborts demonstrated the first robot system with visual sensors that recognize and locate simple building blocks.
In 1967, Japan established the Research Institute of artificial hand (now renamed as the Bionic Research Institute).
In 1970, the first International Conference on industrial robots was held in the United states. After 1970, the research of robot has been widely popularized.
In 1973, Cincinnati Mira of the company, the first company to manufacture the first industrial robot controlled by a minicomputer, was powered by a hydraulic system, and the payload was able to lift up to 45 kg ().
By 1980, the industrial machinery talent in Japan, so that the year of the first year".
Subsequently, the industrial robot in Japan has been a huge development, Japan has thus won the reputation of the robot kingdom".
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) statistics, by the end of 2003, the total number of robots running in the United States for 112400 units, an increase of more than 2002 of 7%. Expected by the end of 2007, the number of robots running will reach 145000 sets. At the end of 2003, each of the 10 thousand employees in the United States had a total of 63 industrial robots. Despite the rankings, the United States has entered the world's top ten, but it still has a big gap with the first few, only equivalent to 43% of Germany, Italy, the EU's 54%, 68%. Compared with the common manufacturing industry, the number of industrial robots in the American automobile industry in every million industrial workers have greatly increased, reached 740, but is still far lower than Japan (1400 robots), Italy (1400 robots) and Germany (1000 robots.
America is the birthplace of robots. As early as 1962, the world's first industrial robot was developed. Japan is at least five or six years ahead of what it calls the robot kingdom. After more than 40 years of development, the United States has now become one of the world's powerful robot, strong foundation, advanced technology. Looking at the history of its development. The road is tortuous and bumpy.
During the period from 1960s to 70s, the industrial robots in the United States were mainly based on the research stage, only a few universities and a few companies have carried out relevant research work. At that time, the U.S. government does not focus on the development of industrial robots included in the project, in particular, the United States at the time of the unemployment rate up to 6.65%, the government is worried about the development of the robot will cause more unemployment, so neither investment nor financial support to the organization to develop robots. The enterprise in this policy guidance, but also do not want to take risks, to apply or manufacture robots. Missed the opportunity to develop, stick to the level of use of rigid automation devices. This can not be said that the U.S. government's strategic decision-making mistakes. In late 70s, the government and enterprises is the manufacture and application of industrial robots understanding has changed, but still will be the development of high-level robot key technology roadmap on the research of robot software and military, space, marine, nuclear engineering and other special areas of Japan, resulting in industrial robot applications in industrial production and catch up from behind. The robot manufacturing and soon more than U.S. products formed a strong competitiveness in the international market.
After entering in 1980s, the United States only felt the urgency of the situation, the government and the business community began to attach importance to the robot. Formulate and adopt appropriate policies and measures, on the one hand, encourage the development and application of the robot industry, on the other hand, plans to increase investment, increased funding for research of the robot, the robot as the characteristics of re industrialization, the rapid development of the robot. In the mid and late 80s, with the application of the major manufacturers of robot technology matures, the technical performance of the first generation of robots can not meet the actual needs of more and more. The United States began to produce the second generation robot with vision and power, and soon occupied the United States of the robot market of 60%.
The development of industrial robots in Japan, at the same time, in 1870s, Japan is facing a serious labor shortage, this problem has become a major problem restricting its economic development. There is no doubt that the birth of the United States and has been put into production of industrial robots to bring the gospel of japan. In 1967, Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. first introduced the robot and technology from the United States, the establishment of production plant, and the first Japanese robot unimate trial in 1968. After a brief cradle stage, Japan's industrial robots soon entered the practical stage, and gradually expanded from the automotive industry to other manufacturing and non manufacturing. 1980 is known as the first year of the popularity of robots in Japan, Japan began to promote the use of robots in various fields, which greatly reduces the labor market is a serious shortage of social contradictions. In addition, the Japanese government to take a variety of incentives, these robots received the welcome of the majority of enterprises. In 1980 ~1990, Japan's industrial robots in the heyday of the international market was once turned to Europe and North America, but after a brief downturn in Japan and restore its former glory. By the end of 1993, there are 610 thousand industrial robots installed in the world, of which Japan accounted for 60%, the United States accounted for 8%, accounting for Europe, Russia and Eastern Europe accounted for 12% of the total of 17%.
The number of industrial robots in Germany accounted for third in the world, second only to Japan and the United States, its research and application of intelligent robots in the world in a leading position. At present on the basis of the popularity of the first generation of industrial robots, the second generation of industrial robots to promote the application of the mainstream into the installation of models, and the third generation of intelligent robots have occupied a certain proportion and become the direction of development. Robots in the world are divided into Japanese and european. ABB is one of the world's largest robot manufacturers. In 1974, the world's first fully controlled industrial robot IRB6 was developed, which is mainly used for the material removal and material handling. 1975 produced the first welding robot. By 1980, after the merger of Trallfa paint robotic company, its robot products tend to complete. ABB industrial robots are widely used in the field of welding, assembly casting, sealing glue, material handling, packaging, painting, water cutting, etc.. Germany's KUKA Roboter Gmbh is one of the world's top manufacturers of industrial robots. In 1973, the first industrial robot of KUKA was developed. Annual output reached ten thousand units. The production of robots are widely used in automotive, aerospace, instruments, food, pharmaceutical, medical, casting, plastic industry, mainly used for material handling, machine tool equipment, packaging, stacking, welding, surface repair etc..
The industrial robot in China started in the early 70s, its development process can be divided into three stages: the embryonic period in 70s; the development period in 80s; the practical period in the year of 90s. Now after 20 years of development has begun to take shape. At present, China has produced a number of key components of the robot, the development of arc welding, spot welding, palletizing, assembly, handling, injection molding, stamping, painting and other industrial robots. A number of domestic industrial robots have been used in many domestic enterprises on the production line; a number of robotics research talent has emerged. Some of the relevant research institutions and enterprises have mastered the optimization design of industrial robot machine manufacturing technology; hardware design of robot control and driving system of industrial robot; software design and programming technology; kinematics and trajectory planning technique; preparation technology of arc welding, spot welding and robot automatic production development and manufacturing line and peripheral equipment the. Some key technologies have reached or close to the world level.