Running head: Capstone

Lee High School

Mechanical Engineering: Robotic Engineering

Alfredo A. Corbera-Martinez

Brian Cahoon

Senior Capstone

March 19, 2019

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Alfredo Corbera

March 19th, 2019

Capstone

Mr.Cahoon

Robotic Engineering

Imagine, invent, and inspire. Those are three main steps to becoming an engineer,

imagining how to better our world and make manufacturing easier. Robotics is a mixture of

mechanical and electrical engineering, with computer science as well, that deals with

construction, operation, and programming. With these robots being created, they are able to

operate autonomously and send feedback in return. Robots are machines that are created to

execute a certain tasks, with different ones being created for different operations and different

tasks. ​ Robots have changed the way of manufacturing in workplaces by ensuring that most

people have a safer way of working, making more parts for no payment, and as well as

completing task that humans physically can't.

Safety is an important factor to companies, especially if they have people working for

them, they try to lower the casualty or injury number down. For that to happen companies

started to replace people from certain areas and started adding robots to complete the task people

were doing there. There have been different companies switching people in and out of areas, and

have them doing inspections instead. Most robots have replaced people from doing jobs such as

lifting heavy items or parts, reduced stress in face-paced production areas, and also they are put
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in a small cage or area to keep parts from the actual robot itself away and safer from people. In a

interview with George Kotkowicz, a general manager at General Motors made a statement about

robots being kept inside a cage “Robots are set up in “Safety Cages” that people are not allowed

to enter during operation, robots must be returned to “Home” position and turned off before the

Safety Cage can be opened and humans can enter.” One of companies main focuses is to keep

their workers safe and avoid few casualties, to prevent the number of injuries increasing they

started adding robots in companies over 30 years ago. (​The Importance of Safety Gates.)​ The

reason being that humans are being replaced is due to the fact that robots are programmed to do

repetitive tasks, for instance if someone's job was to make sure certain parts are on correctly or

the product has everything out on securely. From keeping people of getting hurt or having a

spasm they started to add robots to take care of the parts and also have been keeping them caged

inside from hurting anyone.

“Robots have made precision work more economical because they can produce better and

more consistent parts than humans.” (Capstone Interview - George Kotkowicz) When it comes to

GM they are associated with certain car businesses, and they often go to them and tell them what

part they need to be made and how big and wide, what the part will be used for and how it should

function. Mostly in these situations those companies ask GM to have them done by a certain

date, a deadline, when it comes for humans to make the breaks it's often required for them to take

breaks and work certain hours, meaning that the company won't have the parts done before the

deadline and won't satisfy their partners. When companies started to add robots into their

facilities they started getting parts done quicker and better, and don't require to be paid.

Companies might have ran for 8-12 hours with humans but now they can run 24 hours with the
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help of robots working, making the precise part, due to the fact that most robots don't need a

break unless they start having troubleshooting problems. (How Robots Cut Costs) The

introduction of robots in companies have helped them make more parts efficiently and have also

cut down companies paying people. Robots are more accurate than humans, which also means it

cuts down production cost. (Robotics: Facts)

There are certain things that humans can't do due to obstacles that would get in the way.

Not only that but the human body isn't able to handle much weight, heat, and it especially can't

handle a different atmosphere. On the other hand robots are able to do things the human body

can't, for instance explore inside a volcano, go underwater where no man has been, but more

importantly they can go and explore space and travel on the surface of Mars. (Robotics: Facts)

Even outside the industries robots are helping human better the future and are helping humans

understand what is in the world and what is happening around them. Robots like Rover and

Opportunity who were sent to Mars have sent information to humans about Mars and have gave

them information about Mars, for instance how Mars used to be have water on it, and they have

also sent back information on the soil and dirt there letting humans know Mars is ready for

human exploration. (Mars Exploration Rovers) Robots have been helping humans understand

more of the world and more than Earth as well.

In conclusion, robots have been helping humans out in both manufacturing and as well as

understanding the world around them. Without robots there would be many safety issues as well

and many casualties, there would be many injury numbers in companies and there wouldn’t be

much money being made and much work being done, without them there would be many people
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injured and places undiscovered as well. Robots have been helping humans from being safe,

make more money for companies without paying people, and explore places humans can’t.
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References

Corbera, Alfredo A, and George Kotkowicz. “Capstone Interview.” 24 Mar. 2019.

Corbera, Alfredo A, and Ken Rollenhagen. “Capstone Interview.” 24 Mar. 2019.

Javelosa, June, and Kristin Houser. “This Company Replaced 90% of Its Workforce with

Machines. Here's What Happened.” World Economic Forum,

www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/02/after-replacing-90-of-employees-with-robots-this-co

mpanys-productivity-soared.

“Mars Exploration Rovers.” ​NASA,​ NASA, mars.nasa.gov/mer/.

Mitchell, Jamie. “The Importance of Safety Gates.” Voluntary Protection Programs Participants'

Association, www.vpppa.org/symposium/blog-entry/the-importance-of-safety-gates.

Robotics Online Marketing Team. “How Robots Cut Costs.” Robotics Online,

www.robotics.org/blog-article.cfm/How-Robots-Cut-Costs/11.

“Robotics: Facts.” Idaho Public Television,

www.idahoptv.org/sciencetrek/topics/robots/facts.cfm.