Sivakumar 1

Arvinth Sivakumar
Melton, Jason
English 5 Section 5
21 April 2016
Research Proposal
. When we talk about robotics, we often talk about work, since they, in some cases can
accomplish tasks that humans cant work on their own. In this research, my goal is to indicate the
influence that robotics has on industrial work today, and how this area could revolutionize
industrial work in the future. Therefore, I found it suitable to focus on industrial applications of
robots as a specific area. I would like to describe the various different advantages and abilities
that robots can bring to the production line, or even to help out with construction.
I plan to look a little beyond the original industrial robot definition of the robotic arm
you often see on TV on shows like How Its Made. However, for now lets see how that
influences my research. One of the most common production line robots that people mention
when you ask them about something thats automated is that robotic arm. One of the brands is
Fanuc which has six degrees of freedom to promote motion. Typically this involves taking the
common x-y-z and adding in dimensions that you may have heard of with special orientation,
even those crucial for spacecraft maneuvering. These three extra ones are pitch, yaw and roll.
Another one is the SCARA or Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm. This one is a pretty
simple concept. Two joints provide x-y positioning or positioning in a horizontal plane and one
provides vertical positioning. However, the system is finely articulated to do complicated tasks.

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It can even flex for inaccuracies while trying to make precise part fits. On the other hand, Fanuc
is actually the largest maker of the typical industrial robot I described above. Three parameters
describe x-y-z positioning and three more describe roll, yaw and pitch. Anti-gravity springs
allow it to carry much more weight, assisting it in carrying heavy loads. Robots like this can
weld, paint and handle materials (Hooper). The two examples above show that industrial robots
can be fine-tuned or modified to meet different needed attributes like need and precision.
One company that modifies parts like this is RobotWorx. They integrate new and
refurbished used robots and parts for welding and other applications. Its integration of different
parts from companies like FANUC, ABA, KUKA, and Motoman gives it the ability to provide
hundreds of robots at a lower price (RobotWorx). These can be tweaked to perform dangerous
task faster and more safely than some packages straight from those companies. This will prove
useful since I want to look at how robotic components change industrial work.
Some other useful ideas I found that may revolutionize industrial production came from a
Youtube video I watched about the Top 3 Robots for a 2015 competition. These are the Tartan
Rescue by CMU, the DRC Hubo by Kaist, and the Running Man by IHMC (New 21C). The
Tartan Rescue is called the CHIMP due to its flexible design and look. Its long arms reduce
complicated action requests to simple ones despite the fact that they would be harder to control.
Doing tasks faster is a key factor in promoting good industrial production. The DRC Hubo is
capable of walking, standing and leaning in various positions. The IHMC can also pick up
medium sized objects and turn them fast. Both of these were also able to climb stair cases just
like humans. This video provided me with more advantages of robots I could use in my research.

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As I go into more improvements on industrial robots, I see more to them than just a
simple task-performing robot. The level we commonly think of involves a programmed task
which is accomplished. An example of something which goes beyond this is Baxter, which can
take under an hour to integrate into work right out of the box (Brooks). It has many sensors that
can adjust to environmental changes like you moving its hand, using simple algorithms for
adaptation. This robot could learn to accomplish industrial tasks with the dexterity workers on a
production line or other industrial workplace. It could adapt just like them to changes like
accidents and speed changes, if it had the right sensors to do so. It could be just the beginning of
moving towards more efficient robotics.
So far, I have described several consulted sources and facts which have pushed
me into investigating further into this topic. There are a huge variety of different kinds of robots
which can be advantageous to fast and accurate production, which is why I thought this topic
was interesting. Ive specifically planned to look at how robotic components change industrial
work. In my view, writing a research paper doesnt mean you always have to add a lot more bulk,
information and evidence to previous proposals and source annotations. It just means you have to
fulfill your interest on a topic and get the main questions answered, and thats what I would do
with further research.
For further research, I would probably need a few more examples. These examples would
have to show concepts like this actually beginning to work, or examples of those which already
work. Interviews and surveys are a good way to get information from others so that it isnt just
about my interpretation or view point. Seeing how others think about something can help you a
lot. Sometimes, for example actually visiting a place like a museum for robotics and computing
can teach you a lot more than simply hearing about it online. Others can also provide information

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on areas which youre unclear about. Varying strategies like that is what I think is the best way to
get the most useful information to visualize and portray my research topic.

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Works Cited
Brooks, Rodney. "Robots at Work: Toward a Smarter Factory." Futurist May-June 2013: 24-27.
Print.
Hooper, Rich. "Industrial Robots." Learn About Robots. Web. 6 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.learnaboutrobots.com/industrial.htm>.
New 21C. 2015 Top 3- Humanoid Robot [Most Advanced] Intelligent Robot . Online
video clip. Youtube. Youtube LLC, 16 June 2015. Web. 8 April 2016.
"The Many Capabilities of an Industrial Robot." RobotWorx. SCOTT. Web. 6 Apr. 2016.
<https://www.robots.com/articles/viewing/the-many-capabilities-of-an-industrial-robot>.