ABSTRACT
Robotics is a fast-developing and highly popular field of engineering. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, biology, sociology, and so on. A great deal of developments in robotics was due to its applications in manufacturing. The need for more and more automation in assembly lines was the main driving force for it. Robots can do repetitive and mundane jobs a lot faster, more accurately, and cheaper than human beings. Their use in industry naturally increases productivity and makes it more flexible. Therefore, for a long period of time, robotics remained popular in manufacturing and industry. However, during the last decade, robotics found applications in many fields other than manufacturing such as service robotics, medicine, entertainment, and education. Advances made in computer technology, sensor technology, semiconductor technology, and artificial intelligence were also instrumental. We are now seeing interesting examples such as human-like robots interacting with people, robots dancing to a tune, robots playing musical instruments, robots playing football, or robots assisting surgeons in operating theaters (Baltes et al. 2010; Gao et al. 2010; Kaneko et al. 2009; Ogura et al. 2006; Taylor and Stoianovici 2003).
