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Robots weld car bodies at a manufacturing plant in Wixom. Michigan ranks as the leading U.S. automobile manufacturer. Image credit: Ford Motor Company

A robot is a mechanical device that operates automatically. Robots can perform a variety of tasks. They are especially suitable for doing jobs too boring, difficult, or dangerous for people. The term robot comes from the Czech word robota, meaning drudgery. Robots efficiently carry out such routine tasks as welding, drilling, and painting automobile body parts. They also do such jobs as making plastic containers, wrapping ice cream bars, and assembling electronic circuits. The science and technology that deals with robots is called robotics.

A typical robot performs a task by following a set of instructions that specifies exactly what it must do to complete the job. These instructions are stored in the robot's control center, a computer or part of a computer. The computer, in turn, sends commands to the robot's motorized joints, which function much like human joints to move various parts of the robot.

Robots vary in design and size, but few resemble the humanlike machines that appear in works of science fiction. Most are stationary structures with a single arm capable of lifting objects and using tools. Engineers have also developed mobile robots equipped with television cameras for sight and electronic sensors for touch. These robots are controlled by stored instructions, feedback from sensors, and remote control. Scientists have used such robots to explore the sea floor on Earth and the surface of Mars.

Contributor: Kazem Kazerounian, Ph.D., Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut.

How to cite this article: To cite this article, World Book recommends the following format: Kazerounian, Kazem. "Robot." World Book Online Reference Center. 2005. World Book, Inc. http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar472000.

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