ABSTRACT
The fascination many people have for robots is often associated with their supposedly human-like qualities; a comparison with human capabilities is a good starting point in describing what robots are generally about. In industrial settings, robotic manipulators are currently used for sorting, welding, de-burring, painting, and manufacture; mobile robots, often referred to as automated guided vehicles, are used for the carriage of goods and components between workstations in a factory or warehouse. Mechanically speaking, robots can be powerful, tireless, are capable of repeating actions accurately, and can survive hostile environments that are either uncomfortable or hazardous for humans. Many robot manufacturers are able to design and produce units that are able to work for thousands of hours at high precision between maintenance sessions. Robotic manipulators have a number of configurations according to how their links operate and the types of space they sweep out.
