(I) Robotics has achieved its greatest success to date in
the world of industrial manufacturing. (II) Robot arms, or
manipulators, comprise a 2 billion dollar industry.
(III) For example, Plustech’s walking robot provides
automatic leg coordination while the human operator
chooses an overall direction of travel. (IV) Bolted at its
shoulder to a specific position in the assembly line, the
robot arm can move with great speed and accuracy to
perform repetitive tasks such as spot welding and
painting. (V) In the electronics industry, manipulators
place surface-mounted components with superhuman
precision, making industrial products such as the
portable telephone and laptop computer possible.