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Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.
Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.
Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.
Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.
Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.
In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
Mobile industrial robots are pieces of machinery that are able to be programmed to perform tasks in an industrial setting. Typically these have been used in stationary and workbench applications; however, mobile industrial robots introduce a new method for lean manufacturing. With advances in controls and robotics, current technology has been improved allowing for mobile tasks such as product delivery. This additional flexibility in manufacturing can save a company time and money during the manufacturing process, and therefore results in a cheaper end product.
Mobile robot technology has potential to revolutionize many sectors of industry; however, it carries with it some disadvantages. The logistics of manufacturing will be streamlined by allowing robots to autonomously navigate to different areas for their work. The labour demands for employees will be lessened as robots will be able to work alongside humans, and robots will assist with medicine and surgery more and more. However, there are drawbacks to this technology. Coordinating the movement of robots around facilities and calibrating their position at their destination is tedious and far from perfect.[1] A robot malfunctioning in a manufacturing setting will hold up production - and this robot could malfunction anywhere in a facility. Human safety must also be considered. Robots must prioritize the safety of human operators over their programmed task - which may complicate the coordination of multiple autonomous robots. Especially in a surgical setting, there is no room for error on the robot's part. Even though some challenges are present, mobile robot technology promises to streamline aspects across much of the industry.[2]
Automation began in the automobile industry in the years surrounding WWII (1946) and the origin of the term itself belongs with D.S. Harder, the engineering manager at the Ford Motor Company. At first, the term was used to describe the increased presence of automatic devices in production lines and solely manufacturing contexts. Now, automation is widely used in many industries where computerized action and feedback loops can replace human intervention in the workplace. Over time, development in this area has become increasingly dependent upon advanced computer technologies and the advancement of processing capabilities.[3]
In its current form, most industrial robots are powered mechanical arms with the ability to perform anthropomorphic actions. Advancements in miniaturization of computers, mathematical control theory as well as improved sensory technologies have had great impact on the feedback control systems that drive robotics.[3] The first industrial robot performed spot welding and die castings in a General Motors factory in New Jersey, USA in 1962. Soon, robotic arms were exploding within the large-scale manufacturing industry and several new companies came into existence including Kuka in 1973, Nachi in 1969, Fanuc in 1974, Yaskawa in 1977, ASEA in 1977, and several others. By 1980, it is estimated a new major robotics company entered the market every month.[4]
Mobile robotics are now set to experience similar expansion as they become significantly more reliable in an industrial setting. Even if a mobile robot makes mistakes, it will eventually be less frequently than mistakes caused by human factors.
The simplicity of mobile industrial robots provide their main advantage in industrial settings due to the ease of use and ability to be operated via technologies well understood by most people. In addition, robots are able to operate almost continuously and will never complain about long work hours; greatly increasing efficiency in a lean manufacturing environment. The main current disadvantage lies in high costs of repair as well as the production delays that would be caused by a failure or malfunction. These factors are very preventative to putting major amounts of responsibility on mobile robotics, however they are being continually lessened.[1][5]
The mobile industrial robots have many applications that they have been used in already including in the healthcare industry, home and industrial security, ocean and space exploration, the food service industry, and in distribution applications.
Mobile industrial robots have several uses within the healthcare industry in both hospitals and homes. Drug delivery, patient services, and other nursing functions could be easily adapted to robots. Due to the fact that items being carried around typically weigh less than 100 kg, robots much smaller than the MiR (see above) may be used. Specialized equipment may be mounted on robots, allowing them to assist with surgical procedures. Overall, their place in the medical industry is to provide a more reliable source of customer care while reducing human error.[5]
The first instances of automation in labs possessed limited capabilities and relied on simple mechanical principles – often resembling the assembly line factory robots they had been based on. These early mobile robots primarily focused on liquid handling. And despite their rudimentary nature, they marked a significant departure from traditional methodologies, laying the groundwork for future efficiency and standardization.[6]
In the scientific world, there is a large number of applications for mobile robots. Their ability to perform experiments and exploration without putting human lives in danger makes them an important asset. Unlike humans, robots do not require life support systems to function. In space travel, robots are performing science on planets and asteroids because sending humans is far more taxing on resources and money. The same is true in the oceanography domain. In fact, several of the same robotic systems are designed to perform their science under both conditions - space and underwater. In nuclear power plants, robots can service electronics and mechanical systems which prevents human exposure to large amounts of radiation.[5]
For applications like painting and de-painting aircraft, two fixed robots are inadequate because not all parts of the aircraft can be reached. Adding more fixed robots would complete the task, but the cost is prohibitive. If mobile robots are used, one or two may be enough to service the entire aircraft because they can move to whatever area needs work. Mobile robots need to be truly autonomous to be useful in manufacturing. Erik Nieves said, "Mobility moves robots from being machines to production partners" Rather than bringing work to the robot, the robot should be smart enough to go to where the work is.[5]
Automated aircraft inspection systems have the potential to make aircraft maintenance safer and more reliable.[7] Various solutions are currently developed: a collaborative mobile robot named Air-Cobot,[8][9][10] and autonomous drones from Donecle or EasyJet.[11][12]
For maintenance of pipelines which are buried underground, mobile robots can travel through the pipeline performing inspection and maintenance operations, replacing other techniques, some of which could only otherwise be done by unearthing the pipeline. CISBOT (cast-iron sealing robot) a cast iron pipe repair robot that seals the joints in natural gas pipelines from the inside.[13]
Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR)
The Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) from MiR are designed to optimize productivity in logistics and manufacturing operations.
Meant for material transport in industrial centers:[14]
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
Mobile industrial robots are pieces of machinery that are able to be programmed to perform tasks in an industrial setting. Typically these have been used in stationary and workbench applications; however, mobile industrial robots introduce a new method for lean manufacturing. With advances in controls and robotics, current technology has been improved allowing for mobile tasks such as product delivery. This additional flexibility in manufacturing can save a company time and money during the manufacturing process, and therefore results in a cheaper end product. Mobile robot technology has potential to revolutionize many sectors of industry; however, it carries with it some disadvantages. The logistics of manufacturing will be streamlined by allowing robots to autonomously navigate to different areas for their work. The labour demands for employees will be lessened as robots will be able to work alongside humans, and robots will assist with medicine and surgery more and more. However, there are drawbacks to this technology. Coordinating the movement of robots around facilities and calibrating their position at their destination is tedious and far from perfect. A robot malfunctioning in a manufacturing setting will hold up production - and this robot could malfunction anywhere in a facility. Human safety must also be considered. Robots must prioritize the safety of human operators over their programmed task - which may complicate the coordination of multiple autonomous robots. Especially in a surgical setting, there is no room for error on the robot's part. Even though some challenges are present, mobile robot technology promises to streamline aspects across much of the industry.
A mobile robot is an automatic machine that is capable of locomotion. Mobile robotics is usually considered to be a subfield of robotics and information engineering. Mobile robots have the capability to move around in their environment and are not fixed to one physical location. Mobile robots can be "autonomous" (AMR - autonomous mobile robot) which means they are capable of navigating an uncontrolled environment without the need for physical or electro-mechanical guidance devices. Alternatively, mobile robots can rely on guidance devices that allow them to travel a pre-defined navigation route in relatively controlled space. By contrast, industrial robots are usually more-or-less stationary, consisting of a jointed arm (multi-linked manipulator) and gripper assembly (or end effector), attached to a fixed surface. Mobile robots have become more commonplace in commercial and industrial settings. Hospitals have been using autonomous mobile robots to move materials for many years. Warehouses have installed mobile robotic systems to efficiently move materials from stocking shelves to order fulfillment zones. Mobile robots are also a major focus of current research and almost every major university has one or more labs that focus on mobile robot research. Mobile robots are also found in industrial, military and security settings. The components of a mobile robot are a controller, sensors, actuators and power system. The controller is generally a microprocessor, embedded microcontroller or a personal computer (PC). The sensors used are dependent upon the requirements of the robot. The requirements could be dead reckoning, tactile and proximity sensing, triangulation ranging, collision avoidance, position location and other specific applications. Actuators usually refer to the motors that move the robot can be wheeled or legged. To power a mobile robot ,people usually use DC power supply (which is a battery) instead of AC.
Military robots are autonomous robots or remote-controlled mobile robots designed for military applications, from transport to search & rescue and attack. Some such systems are currently in use, and many are under development. The difference between military robots and military drones is unclear as of 2025: some say that lethal autonomous weapons are robots whereas others describe “fully autonomous military drones”.
Neura Robotics (stylized as NEURA Robotics) is a German robotics company headquartered in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg. The company develops collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots, and humanoid robots designed operate alongside humans.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →The Greenwood District.