LESSON 2

• Machine


  Anything that makes life easier. A mechanical structure that applies forces and controls movement by using power, to do a specific task.
• Simple machine


  A mechanical device which modifies a force's direction or magnitude. They can generally be described as the simplest mechanisms that multiply force using mechanical advantage (also called leverage). Machines that cannot move on their own and need human input are simple machines.
• Different kinds of simple machines

  • Wheel and axle
  • Inclined plane
  • Wedge
  • Lever
  • Pulley
  • Screw
• Wheel and axle


  • Helps in making tasks easier by moving objects across distances. The wheel turns with the axle that would cause movement. A good example is a doorknob.
• Inclined plane


  • A tilted even supporting plane. A typical example is a ramp.

  
• Wedge


  • Usually used to hold together objects or to cut them apart. An axe blade is a typical example.

  
• Lever


  • A board that is freely able to rotate on a pivot. A good example is a seesaw.
• Pulley


  • Shifts the direction of the force. An example is a rope attached to a pulley that helps in raising and lowering the flag in a flagpole.
• Screw


  • Used to hold things together. A screw helps by making it easy to turn or move through a solid space like a concrete wall.
• Augmenting robots


  Built to enhance human capabilities or to restore lost ones. Can be simple prosthetic limbs or exoskeletons.
• Pre-programmed robots


  Robots that follow the program encoded in them beforehand. Commonly found in factories as part of assembly lines.
• Bionics


  The application of behaviors and methods found in nature to design and study engineering systems and modern-day technology. In robotics, bionics is used to mimic how a biological object behaves, not to recreate its biological structure.
• Bionic limbs


  • A bionic arm that can grow with a baby born without a hand has already been created.
• Humanoid robots


  Robots that mimic human behavior, speech, and appearances. Made to perform human activities or designed to look like humans for peace of mind.
• Teleoperated robots


  Robots that humans control. Meant to operate in harsh environments and conditions that could prove difficult for ordinary humans. Used in medical and military fields.
• Autonomous robots


  Robots that can operate without the need for human operators. A great example is the Roomba vacuum cleaner.
• Androids


  Robots that look like humans but with internal robot mechanics. Frequently seen in films and TV shows.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)


  The capability of a robot to do things that can only be done through human intelligence.