It is our pleasure to introduce the “social robot”, developed at the University of Southern California, representing the latest robotic technology and a cynosure of robot world news.
The New Invasion : Robotic Technology
Unpalatable as it may be to many, a great invasion is imminent in near future: robotic technology is all set to invade our homes and lives in a big way.
From being your housekeeper to babysitting and nannying your kids, to being the nurse for the elderly, robotic technology experts are certain that the era of robots turning from museum and laboratory experiments to ubiquitous household objects is visiting us real soon, just as the home computer invasion happened to us a while back. In fact, experts say that given the endless applications of robotic technology to essentially replicate menial human effort, robots could end up having a much larger impact on our lives, becoming as commonplace as a kitchen food processor or a dishwasher. In fact, it would more be a case of evolution of existing devices, so its just as likely that your food processors and dishwashers of the future would be products of robotic technology.
From performing household chores, to entertaining and educating our children, to looking after the elderly, robotic technology experts say we will soon be welcoming their creations into our homes and workplaces.
Researchers believe we are on the cusp of a robotic technology revolution that will mirror the explosive growth of the computer revolution from the 1980s onwards.
They are developing new laws for robot behaviour, and designing new ways for humans and robots to interact.
“I think robotic technology will change who we are, just as eyeglasses and fire changed who we were before,” says Rodney Brookes, robotics entrepreneur and former director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the hub of robotic technology R&D in MIT.
Human Robots: Robotic Technology Meets Science Fiction
Commercially available robots are already beginning to perform everyday tasks like vacuuming our floors.
The latest prototypes from Japan are able to help the elderly to get out of bed or get up after a fall. They can also remind them when to take medication, or even help wash their hair.
“Current robotic technology is not focused on human like robots. For example they are things like automated beds and wheelchairs,” says celebrated roboticist Prof Hiroshi Ishiguro, director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University, Japan. He believes the time is coming when robots start looking less like machines, and more like us.
“Everything is becoming automatic, and that means everything is a robot. People want to have a better interface.”
“Elderly people don’t like using a computer interface, but they can talk with a robot,” says Prof Ishiguro.
“In the near future we are going to use more human-like robots, I really think so.”
Prof Maja Mataric at the University of Southern California, one of the leading proponents of social caring robots, agrees. “I’m very excited about the fact that today in robotics we have machines that are sophisticated enough to be put together with people in a daily life setting,” she says.
“A major point to keep in mind is that people will need human-machine interaction in the future.”
Human robots are a big answer to the problem of: “who will take care of everyone?” While people have always been the best equipped for the job and would continue to be so, there just aren’t enough people to meet the sheer numbers required. That’s where robotic technology steps in. We’ll be back soon with more robot world news and information on robotic technology, keep watching this space.
