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Robotics is the branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and computer science that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots,〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0714530#m_en_gb0714530 )〕 as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. These technologies deal with automated machines that can take the place of humans in dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance, behavior, and/or cognition. Many of today's robots are inspired by nature contributing to the field of bio-inspired robotics. The concept of creating machines that can operate autonomously dates back to classical times, but research into the functionality and potential uses of robots did not grow substantially until the 20th century. Throughout history, it has been frequently assumed that robots will one day be able to mimic human behavior and manage tasks in a human-like fashion. Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field, as technological advances continue; researching, designing, and building new robots serve various practical purposes, whether domestically, commercially, or militarily.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.tea-after-twelve.com/all-issues/issue-02/issue-02-overview/chapter1/future-of-robotics// )〕 Many robots do jobs that are hazardous to people such as defusing bombs, mines and exploring shipwrecks. ==Etymology== The word ''robotics'' was derived from the word ''robot'', which was introduced to the public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play ''R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)'', which was published in 1920. The word ''robot'' comes from the Slavic word ''robota'', which means labour. The play begins in a factory that makes artificial people called ''robots'', creatures who can be mistaken for humans – very similar to the modern ideas of androids. Karel Čapek himself did not coin the word. He wrote a short letter in reference to an etymology in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' in which he named his brother Josef Čapek as its actual originator.〔 According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the word ''robotics'' was first used in print by Isaac Asimov, in his science fiction short story "Liar!", published in May 1941 in ''Astounding Science Fiction''. Asimov was unaware that he was coining the term; since the science and technology of electrical devices is ''electronics'', he assumed ''robotics'' already referred to the science and technology of robots. In some of Asimov's other works, he states that the first use of the word ''robotics'' was in his short story ''Runaround'' (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1942).〔 〕 However, the original publication of "Liar!" predates that of "Runaround" by ten months, so the former is generally cited as the word's origin. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「robotics」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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