As the U.S. government from the 60's to the mid-70's during the decade, and did not include industrial robots in the key development projects, just a few universities and a small number of companies to carry out some research work. For enterprises, in only see the immediate interests of the government and no financial support, prefer to miss the good opportunity to fixate on the use of rigid automation devices, but also do not want to take the risk to apply or manufacture of robots. Plus, at that time, the U.S. unemployment rate as high as 6.65%, the government is worried about the development of robotics will cause more people to lose their jobs, and therefore do not invest in the development of robots are not organized, which can not be said to be the U.S. government's strategic decision-making errors. the late '70s, the U.S. government and the business community, although some attention, but in the technical line is still focusing on the study of robotics software and military, cosmic, marine, nuclear engineering and other special areas of the development of advanced robotics, resulting in the development of a new robot. The development of advanced robots, resulting in Japan's industrial robots later on, and in the application of industrial production and robotics manufacturing industry soon exceeded the United States, the product in the international market to form a strong competitive edge.
Into the 80's, the United States only feel the urgency of the situation, the government and the business community on the robot to really pay attention to the policy is also reflected, on the one hand, to encourage the development of industry and the application of robotics, on the other hand, the development of plans to improve the investment, increase the robotics research funding, robotics as a United States once again the characteristics of the industrialization of the United States, so that the United States robotics rapid development.
In the mid-to-late 80s, with the application of major manufacturers of robotics technology has become more mature, the first generation of robotics technology performance is increasingly unable to meet the actual needs of the U.S. began to produce with the visual, force perception of the second generation of robots, and soon occupied 60% of the U.S. robotics market.
Although the United States in the history of robotics development has taken a focus on theoretical research, ignoring the application of research and development of the twists and turns of the road, but the United States of America's robotics technology in the international community has been in a leading position. Its technology is comprehensive, advanced and adaptable. Specifically manifested in:
(1) reliable performance, comprehensive functions, high accuracy;
(2) faster development of robot language research, language type, wide range of applications, the level of high in the world;
(3) the rapid development of intelligent technology, its vision, haptics, and other artificial intelligence technology has been widely used in the aerospace, automotive industry;
(4) Highly intelligent and difficult military robots and space robots are developing rapidly, which are mainly used in mine clearance, mine laying, reconnaissance, standing guard and space exploration.
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As early as 1966, the U.S. Unimation's Unimation robot and AMF's Two major British machinery companies made a special effort to market their robots in the UK in 1967 for these two American robotics companies. Then, Hall Automation developed its own robot, RAMP. In the early 70's, the robotics industry fell into disarray and was almost at the bottom of the list in Western Europe due to the Lighthall Report on Industrial Robotics issued by the Scientific Research Council of the British government, which denied artificial intelligence and robotics.
However, the booming development of robotics in the international arena soon made the British government realize that the backwardness of robotics technology has led to a great decline in the competitiveness of its goods in the international market. Therefore, from the end of the 1970s, the British government turned to take a supportive attitude, to promote and implement a series of policies and measures to support the development of robotics, such as extensive publicity on the importance of the use of robots, in the financial aspects of the purchase of robots to subsidize the enterprise, and actively promote the robotics research units and enterprises to join forces, etc., so that the United Kingdom robots began in the field of production of a wide range of applications and vigorously develop a thriving period of time.
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France is not only in the robot possession of the world's leading, but also in the level of robot application and application range is at the world's advanced level. This is mainly due to the French government from the beginning to pay more attention to robotics technology, especially focusing on the development of robotics application research.
The development of French robotics is relatively smooth, the main reason is that through the government's strong support for research programs to establish a complete system of science and technology. That is, by the government to organize some of the basic technology of robotics research projects, and by the industry to support the application and development of the work, the two complement each other, so that the robot in the French business community will soon develop and popularize.
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Germany has the third largest number of industrial robots in the world, after Japan and the United States. By Germany, we mean mainly the former Federal Republic of Germany. It introduced robots about five or six years later than Britain and Sweden. This is so because Germany's robotics industry encountered a domestic economic downturn as soon as it got off the ground. However, the social environment in Germany was favorable for the development of the robotics industry. The shortage of labor due to the war, as well as the high level of technology of the population, were favorable conditions for the realization of the use of robots. In the mid to late 70's, the government used administrative means to open the way for the promotion of robots; in the "Improvement of Labor Conditions Plan", it was stipulated that robots must be used to replace the labor of ordinary people in some dangerous, toxic and hazardous jobs. This program for the application of robotics to open up a wide range of markets, and promote the development of industrial robotics. The Germanic nation is a practical nation, and they have always insisted on the principle of combining the application of technology and the needs of society. In addition to like most countries, the robot will be mainly used in the automotive industry, the outstanding point is that Germany in the textile industry with modern production technology to transform the original enterprise, scrapped the old machine, purchased a modern automatic equipment, electronic computers and robots, so that the textile industry cost reduction, quality improvement, product variety of more marketable. To 1984 finally made this was described as "the end of the industry" to revitalize. At the same time, Germany saw the role of robotics and other advanced automation technology for industrial production, put forward after 1985 to the advanced, with the feeling of intelligent robots to transfer the goal. After nearly a decade of efforts, its intelligent robot research and application in the world is recognized as a leader.
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In the former Soviet Union (mainly in Russia), theoretical and practical exploration of robotics began in the 1950s beginning in the second half of the decade. In the late 1950s, research on robot prototypes began, and in 1968 a robot for deep-water work was successfully prototyped. 1971 saw the development of a universal robot for use in factories. As early as the beginning of the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1970-1975) of the former Soviet Union, the development of robotics was included in the national program of scientific and technological development. By 1975, has developed 30 models of 120 robots, after 20 years of efforts, the former Soviet Union's robots in the quantity, quality and water are at the forefront of the world. The state purposefully to improve scientific and technological progress as a means of promoting the development of social production, to arrange for the research and manufacture of robots; research and production of robots, application, promotion and enhancement of the work, are arranged by the government, planned, step by step.
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Some people think that the application of robots is only to save labor, and our country is rich in labor resources, the development of robots does not necessarily meet our national conditions. This is a misunderstanding. In our country, the superiority of the socialist system determines that the robot can give full play to its strengths. It can not only bring a high degree of productivity and huge economic benefits for China's economic construction, but also will make excellent contributions to the development of China's cosmic development, ocean development, nuclear energy utilization and other emerging fields.
China has been in the "Seventh Five-Year Plan" plan to robotics listed in the national key scientific research planning content, allocated huge sums of money in Shenyang to establish the country's first robotics research demonstration project, a comprehensive launch of the basic theory of robotics and basic components research. Over the past ten years, we have successively developed a full range of industrial robots such as handling, spot welding, arc welding, painting, assembly, etc., as well as underwater, military and special robots. At present, the teaching reproduction robot technology has basically matured, and in the factory to promote the application. China's own production of robotic paint spraying line in Changchun, the first automobile factory and the Dongfeng Automobile Factory into operation. 1986 March started the national 863 high-tech development plan has been included in the research and development of intelligent robots. For the time being, we should start from the perspective of production and application, combined with China's national conditions, to speed up the production of simple structure, low-cost practical robots and certain special robots.
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Japan was in a period of high economic development in the late 1960s, with an annual growth rate of 11 percent. After World War II, Japan's labor force was already tight, and the high rate of economic development exacerbated the difficulties of a severe labor shortage. For this reason, Japan in 1967 by the Kawasaki Heavy Industries from the United States Unimation introduced robotics and its technology, set up a production plant, and in 1968, the first trial production of Kawasaki's "Unimation" robot.
It was due to the significant labor shortage in Japan at the time that robots were welcomed as "saviors" in the enterprise. The Japanese government, on the one hand, has adopted an active policy of economic support to encourage the development and popularization of the use of robots, which further inspired entrepreneurs to engage in the robotics industry. In particular, the government of small and medium-sized enterprises in a series of economic incentives, such as the government bank to provide preferential low-interest funds to encourage the establishment of the "robot long-term leasing company", the company funded the purchase of robots after the long-term lease to the user, the user only needs to pay a relatively low monthly rent, which greatly reduces the financial burden of the enterprise to purchase the robot required The government has made computer-controlled demonstration and reproduction robots a special discounted product, and in addition to the usual 40% discount on new equipment, enterprises can also enjoy a 13% price subsidy. On the other hand, the state funds specialized knowledge and technical guidance for small businesses in the application of robotics, and so on.
This series of supportive policies, so that the Japanese robotics industry developed rapidly, after a short period of more than a decade, to the mid-80s, has jumped to the "Kingdom of Robotics", its robot production and installation of the number of units in the international community jumped to the forefront. According to Yonemoto Wanji, Managing Director of the Japan Industrial Robotics Association, "The development of robots in Japan went through a cradle period in the 1960s, a practical period in the 1970s, and a popularization and improvement period in the 1980s." And formally designated 1980 as "the popularization of industrial robots year", began to widely promote the use of robots in various fields.
The Japanese government and enterprises fully trust the robot, bold use of robots. Robots have also lived up to people's expectations, it is in the solution to the shortage of labor, improve productivity, improve product quality and reduce production costs, playing an increasingly significant role, and become an indispensable team to maintain the speed of economic growth and product competitiveness in Japan.
Japan in the automotive and electronics industries, the use of large numbers of robot production, so that Japan's automotive and electronics production soared, the quality is increasingly improved, and manufacturing costs are greatly reduced. Thus, the Japanese production of automobiles can be inexpensive absolute advantage to enter the United States market known as the "Kingdom of cars", and to the birth of the robot country exports of Japanese-made practical robots. At this time, Japan's inexpensive and beautiful household appliances also filled the U.S. market ...... which makes "Uncle Sam" regret. Japan due to the manufacture and use of robots, increased national strength, gained great benefits, forcing the United States, Britain, France and many other countries have to take measures to catch up.