
Introductory to Robot Intelligence
There is actually a spectrum for robot intelligence. Fully remote control and fully autonomous are not your only options. Instead you should decide what level of intelligence you wish your robot to have. Generally assume the more intelligent, the more difficult to build.
Here are the main categories:
Automaton 'Intelligence'
The lowest level of robot 'intelligence' is a simple automaton device. My definition of an automaton is a device where there is absolutely zero decisions made no matter the given environment. They are simple devices where the action it does is repetitive and automatic. A simple circuit with a motor or a combination of gears and a spring could easily be an automaton. Ever hear of those 'robots' from the 1800's that apparently can write names and poems and other useless stuff? They were very well designed gear integrations. However these 'robots' would keep writing even if the ink well ran out of ink . . . The device simply has no fault tolerance, and will continue attempting the action. They did not even have a method to sense the environment - a requirement of decision making.
BEAM 'robots' basically fall into the same category, except they are made from very well designed electronics instead of gears.
Remote Control 'Intelligence'
Remote control is the next level of robot 'intelligence.' Our current technology is capable of building so many machines physically capable of so much more than any lifeform on our planet. Our planes fly many times the speed of sound, our everyday cars can cross the Sahara Desert in days, but our best computers cannot even match a roach brain in terms of autonomy. Solution? Put the human brain in the driving seat of our machines. This allows for the best of both worlds. Strength and expendability of a machine, brain of a human. Battlebots is a perfect example.