An industrial robot is a multi-jointed manipulator or multi-degree-of-freedom robot designed for industrial applications. It possesses automated control and movement capabilities, and is a programmable manipulator capable of performing various tasks. Since the first practical teachable industrial robot was manufactured in the United States in 1962, the international development, research, and application of industrial robots have spanned 50 years. Currently, the robot industries of many countries, represented by Japan, the United States, Germany, France, and South Korea, are becoming increasingly mature and sophisticated.
An industrial robot mainly consists of a body, a drive system, and a control system, with motion control technology being its core. It relies on components such as reducers and servo motors to achieve high-precision operations. Its applications cover welding, material handling, and painting, and it plays a particularly significant role in the automotive manufacturing and electronics industries, replacing manual labor in performing precision tasks in harsh environments.
An industrial robot is defined as a programmable, multi-purpose manipulator. The ISO standard (2012) specifies that it must have three or more programmable axes. The first industrial robot used for automotive parts was developed in the United States in 1956, and the first practical teachable industrial robot was manufactured in the United States in 1962. Industrial robots from countries such as Japan, the United States, Germany, France, and South Korea have become standard equipment worldwide.