7. Principles of classification
The Robot Taxonomy classifies all robots past, present and future, both commercialized and hypothesized. To achieve this, we need to prescribe a set of guiding principles for how a classification is best set up.
Most, if not all attempts at creating a taxonomy for robots in the past have stemmed from the early ²² of Joseph Engelberger, considered the "father" of modern robotics. However virtually all of them focus on the functionality of the robot as the definitive criteria for classification.
Function-based classification, while appearing logical due to its focus on utility and purpose, encounters significant challenges, especially in terms of overlap. For instance, an android — human-like robot — designed to be a domestic butler could technically and quite easily operate in a factory manufacturing cars, alongside industrial articulator robots. Similarly, a drone used for aerial surveillance could be repurposed to spray agricultural crops. This overlap in functionality blurs the lines between categories, leading to a taxonomy that will always be ambiguous and unclear.
By categorizing robots based on their shape, size, design, form and branding, we can create a taxonomy that is intuitive and easy to understand. Androids, irrespective of their functionality or purpose, share a common design and form that sets them apart from all other robots. This approach allows for an immediate visual identification and classification, which is particularly useful in better understanding and classifying robots.
The Robot Taxonomy is a classification system that primarily considers the robot's "designform" — its structure, appearance, countenance, size and branding, and how these structural elements facilitate interaction with the robot's physical environment.
This approach is grounded in the understanding that a robot's designform fundamentally informs its capabilities and potential applications.
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