A robot is an intelligent machine capable of semi-autonomous or fully autonomous operation. Robots can perform tasks such as manual labor or movement through programming and automatic control.
The earliest known robot is a wooden puppet-like robot commissioned by Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty and built in the likeness of Liu Bian. It was equipped with mechanisms and possessed abilities such as sitting, standing, bowing, and crouching.
Robots possess fundamental characteristics such as perception, decision-making, and execution. They can assist or even replace humans in performing dangerous, arduous, and complex tasks, improving work efficiency and quality, serving human life, and expanding or extending the scope of human activities and capabilities. In 2021, one-third of surgeries in the United States were performed using robotic systems. In 2023, scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) developed the world's first outdoor walking robot model capable of sweating, trembling, and breathing like a human.