Thanks to the successful use of DeVilbiss-Tallfa machines, the first application of this type of equipment in Poland took place in 1976. – Specifically, at the Olkuska Enamelware Factory. Of course, the early history of industrial robots goes back much further. When were the machines allowed to work in a hot atmosphere? At what time could they boast “limited intelligence? Interested? Feel free to read on!
The first industrial robot
Although the use of robots in industry is associated more with the 21st century, the first construction of robots dates back to the 1930s, when Griffith P. Taylor developed a crane powered by an electric motor. A more memorable moment came a couple of decades later, when the first programmable machine was designed by George Devol.
The copyright to it was bought out after a while by American Josep Engelberg – this took place in the 1950s. Shortly thereafter, the two men founded the world’s first industrial robot company, which they called Unimation. The first ones operated high-pressure casting machines. After that, things only got better, as numerous scientific and research works allowed for significant technological advances.
The fruits of the work of scientists and specialists could be harvested as early as the early 1960s, when the machine was first used in industrial conditions, specifically on the assembly lines of General Motors in Trenton, New Jersey. It turned out to be a real success, as most of the models constructed at that time had pneumatic and hydraulic arms that ideally cushioned people from carrying heavy objects. Although they were considerably limited, it was these devices that were the father of modern machines. People saw the potential in them, so the demand for automation soon began.
Autonomous revolution
From lifting heavy objects, industrial equipment was able to “advance” to moving them and performing other jobs requiring precision, such as tightening screws. Such simple for humans, but difficult for robots, tasks could only be fulfilled by their smaller models, which also gave rise to miniaturized motors, microprocessors and advanced control systems – and the real revolution, was yet to come.
Their real development came in the 1970s, when the machines’ capabilities were expanded even further. Their tasks at that time included:
- lifting heavy items,
- material handling,
- precision work,
- painting,
- arc welding.
As a result, industrial robots could increasingly be entrusted with tasks that were dangerous to humans. This was most often the case in steel mills, where the machines were housed at temperatures dangerous to humans. No one lost their job, and only thanks to them, the productivity and safety of workers was greatly improved, and they could focus on other tasks.
Robots owe a lot to… computers
In the mid-1980s, the topic of industrial robotics did not die down at all – on the contrary, interest in them began to grow. They were treated as “machines of the future,” so as part of their development and thus achieving greater competitiveness, the foundations for today’s standards – basic machine vision systems and advanced sensors – were applied to them.
These technologies made it possible to combine low construction costs with ever-changing developments. Computers contributed to this, with the increasing use of microprocessors and other engineering capabilities. The result was the use of precision sensors and lasers on many production lines. Robots constructed in this way completely revolutionized industry – and sensors that functioned similarly to human sight or touch began to be increasingly appreciated, until eventually autonomous machines boasted “limited intelligence.”
Today’s emerging fields, mainly machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), offer much more, giving robots the ability to truly learn and make decisions without human intervention.