Increasing the industrial robot's IQ: Teaching robots to adapt more intelligently to changes in their environment

The harbinger of the new “mechatronics” age, the industrial robot, was invented in the U.S. in 1961. An industrial robot is a programmable, multi-functional manipulator. It is designed to perform useful work by moving a tool or workpiece through various programmed motions. The principal components of an industrial robot are the manipulator or maneuvering unit, the computer motion controller, and the power unit.