Industrial automation, Robotic Process Automation, test automation What do the terms all mean!? Are robotics and automation the same thing?

A lot of people wonder if automation is right for them. Business owners are asking "Should I invest in automation?" and "Should I invest in robotics?"

But, what's the difference between the two? Is automation the same thing as robotics?

Automation is a hot topic in many industries right now. It can refer to several things, not just robotics. This article breaks down the differences betweenthe various terms.

First things first, if you are a business owner you are probably wondering whether automation or robotics is right for your business. The quick answer is: it really depends on your current business needs.

Consider these questions:

If you can think of even one or two tasks which are repetitive or cause a bottleneck, they may be a good candidate for automation. If they are physical tasks, industrial automation or robotics could be the answer. If they are virtual tasks, a form of software automation might work.

The basic difference between automation and robotics can be seen in their definitions:

There are obviously crossovers between the two. Robots are used to automate some physical tasks, such as in manufacturing. However, many types of automation have nothing to do with physical robots. Also, many branches of robotics have nothing to do with automation.

Make sense?

Let's look more closely at the different terminologies.

A lot of industries are talking about automation at the moment. Terms like Business Process Automation, Robotic Process Automation, adaptive automation and test automation are all over the place.

There are two basic types of automation: software automation and industrial automation.

Most of the information on automation that you can find online is about software automation. This involves using software to carry out tasks which humans usually do when they are using computer programs.

For example, GUI test automation is a way to test computer programs. It involves recording the actions of a human while they are using a graphical user interface. These actions are then replayed to autonomously test the program after changes have been made to the underlying software.

Other types of software automation include:

The difference between BPA and RPA is quite subtle. To use an analogy from robotic manufacturing, BPA is a bit like ripping out your entire human-operated production line and replacing it with a fully autonomous factory. RPA is like adding a collaborative robot to one workstation within the production line.

When we talk about "automation and robotics", we are usually referring to industrial automation.

Industrial automation is all about controlling physical processes. It involves using physical machines and control systems to automate tasks within an industrial process. A fully autonomous factory is the extreme example.

There are many types of machine within industrial automation. For example, CNC machines are common in manufacturing.

Robots are only one type of machine.

Let's start with the basics. Robots are programmable machines which are able to carry out a series of actions autonomously, or semi-autonomously. They interact with the physical world via sensors and actuators. Because they are reprogrammable, they are more flexible than single-function machines.

Robotics, therefore, refers to anything involving robots.

Within industrial automation, robots are used as a flexible way to automate a physical task or process. Collaborative robots are designed to carry out the task in the same way a human would. More traditional industrial robots tend to carry out the task more efficiently than a human would.

To make it a little more complex, some robots are "autonomous" (meaning that they operate without humans directly controlling them) but they are not used in automation. For example, a toy line-following robot can autonomously follow a line painted on the ground. However, it is not "automation" because it isn't performing a specific task. If instead the line-following robot were transporting medicines around a hospital, then it would be automation.

When deciding whether to invest in automation for your business, consider the following:

Do you have any queries about the differences between types of automation? Askus in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or the DoF professional robotics community.

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What's the Difference Between Automation and Robotics?