My kid got me. What's the difference between something mechanical and robotic?
For me, robot is machine, that does work by itself, so not something hand-cranked or so. But then, a difference between basic kitchen robot and a whisker for example is very thin.👀
Can someone enlighten me? Thx.
For me, mechanical vs robotic is my grandpa’s 1970s hand-crank mechanical drill vs my brother’s 2024 electric power drill.
And nowadays, robots have built-in power everything.
A robot has, or seems to have, it's own ability to move; something "mechanic" often communicates that a human is it's motivating power (fx. A bicycle).
So exactly as I said, thanks. But the line can be pretty thin🤔 At some point I was thinking if they're not the same thing from a different point of view, a robot and a machine. My kid really got me on that one.
The word "Robot" comes from the Russian/slavic "Rabotnik" meaning "worker", this understood as a "worker machine".
It's possible. It was invented by our writer Čapek, first used in his R.U.R. novel. Those were real humanoid robots. It makes sense the word comes from other roots of ours.🤔 Definitely a good point, I never realized the root of the word.
I'd say mechanical is from a different set of words.
An operating principle:
Mechanical (cogs, wheels, pulleys, cranks...), electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, optical...
While robotic means, there's some logic involved. At least that's how I read it.
Of course people mix these, so the confusion is understandable.
Thanks, that makes sense.
