What Embedded Software Is Used Inside Robots

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The industrial revolution gave humanity the best present by using technology for such work, which is considered very risky for human beings. The invention of robots during that period gave a boost to the manufacturing industry. Robots handled and performed every task with so much efficiency and precision that using robots in the industry became prevalent.

Nevertheless, the development and improvement in robotics didn’t stop after this, scientists kept on researching new technologies. They developed the technology to the extent that today we use robots in our homes for functions like cleaning or washing. There are many more elements in robotics, like their software and programs, which are also evolved.

If you need to know more about robotics and its applications, then here’s all you need to know.

Different Kinds of Robotics

Robots have changed the overview of manufacturing industries since their establishment in the factories carrying out complex tasks. Companies manufacturing products for consumer consumption have deployed more robots in comparison to others. Most industries have four types of common robots: Articulated Robots, SCARA robots (Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm), Delta Robots, and Cobots (Collaborative Robots). Even the invention of robots was to prepare the industry tools rapidly and precisely.

However, the technology has advanced so much, the size and types of robots have also changed. Robots are now part of the routine of every person. Vacuum Cleaners were amongst the very first domestic robots that were invented back in the 1900s. At present, Vacuum Cleaners are the most common robots that each one uses. Other than that, many other domestic robots are present in the market now, like Floor Cleaners, Lawn Movers, and Swimming Pool Cleaners.

The advancement in technology is not going to stop here, the future is much more sophisticated in terms of robot developments. With advances in Artificial Intelligence, the robots will work on their own based on the situations. They will adapt to the environment and provide the most suitable solution to a particular problem. Now, it’s just a matter of a few years when we will be introduced to many new domestic and industrial robotics prototypes.

How Embedded Systems Benefit Robotics

Robotics is the branch of science that has proved that anything can happen with the help of technology. Earlier, the labor in the industries used to work for hours to produce the products. But since the robots were introduced, the speed, quantity, and precision of work have increased a lot. Robots are working in collaboration with humans for every task in present times. But, scientists have a different vision. They want to remove the collaboration part and want to make robots that can work independently and have human attributes. This vision even has a prototype named Sophia, a social humanoid developed by Hanson Robotics, Hong Kong.

With the invention of Sophia, scientists have the opportunity to do some more research and develop much better robots. Nonetheless, this isn’t easy to consider; it will need a lot of time, and research & development to make it a reality.

Embedded systems are essential parts of developing robots with the ability to work independently and have human attributes. Robots are mechanical devices that can not move independently, and they need some external support to run a task. This is where embedded software starts its work. The benefit of having embedded systems in robots is that it eliminates the reliance on any external computing systems for the commands. Moreover, they ensure that the robots work safely by communicating with the external control system quickly.

How Embedded Software In Robotics Is Programmed

The robot's working is a complex process where lots of computing happens in the backend to make a robot do its assigned task. Robots have to process the sensor data, perform cognition, and plan the actions using computer programs. This whole process is completed with the use of embedded systems.

There are various tasks in the industry like welding, assembling, ironing, pick and place, and other jobs. These tasks need to be differentiated first for the robots to understand the specification of the work they are going to perform. This distinction is made with the help of embedded software that is programmed into the cobots or robots. The embedded software has all the technical information about the communication between the robot and the external control system, which helps them perform their task without any knowledge. Few examples of embedded software applications are smart cards, missiles, computer networking, satellites, telecom, and digital consumer electronics.

The embedded software is an essential part of the communication process, but it is not easy to build. It takes days and months to make one software for a particular function while keeping in mind the number of functions of a single robot, the development can take up to years. But usually, this software is made to acknowledge the overall usage so that in the future, only updates in the software are required instead of building it from scratch. The software is written into a high-level format, compiled into code, and then inserted into the hardware controllers of the robot or cobot.

Best Programming Languages used for Robotics

There are over 1500 types of programming languages that are being used for robotics in the entire world. The language depends on what kind of application you want to develop or the system you are using. But few languages are known to be the best languages for robotics.

C and C++ programming languages are one of the most preferred and used languages in robotics. It is used in large volumes because many hardware libraries in robotics use one of these languages. So, using the same language on both sides helps in seamless interaction, real-time performance and makes the whole process efficient.

Besides C and C++, Python is also on the top and is used worldwide to develop software. One primary reason is that various free libraries are available for Python, which will help you implement basic functionality without reinventing the wheel.



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