The terms robotics and automation are often used interchangeably. But do they both really mean the same? The short answer is – it depends on the use case scenario. In order to understand the difference between the two, one needs to know what they both represent.
Robotics is a combinatorial field that brings together the best of engineering and computer science. The field of robotics refers to the design and development of robots and their components including hardware, software, and sensors among others. Robots are generally categorized into cartesian, cylindrical, SCARA, 6-axis, and delta. These robots all have different uses and based on applications, specific robots are chosen. They mostly vary in terms of speed, workspace, and size but other factors could come into play as well.
Automation, on the other hand, is the use of technology to reduce human interaction or to automate processes in such a way that the human effort required to make things work can be minimized. Automation can include different types – software, hardware, or a hybrid version of both.
Although robots can be used for automation, not all of them are capable of automating things. Moreover, not all automation requires robots!
For example, when you chat with a bot online, you aren’t talking to a physical robot but to software trained to provide answers to specific questions. This is an example of automation without robots. A robot that has been built so that a human can control it via remote controllers is an example of a robot without automation.
Cobots, or collaborative robots, are one of the latest additions to the field of robotics. They are interactive robots that are designed to work together with humans. They are safe, flexible, and easy to program for use in environments that require both robots and humans.
Now that we have understood the fundamentals of robotics and the difference between robotics and automation, let us take a look at some of the applications of robotics in real life.