What Are Robots and How do they shape our daily life.
Robot, any
automatically operated machine that replaces human
effort, though it may not resemble human beings in appearance or perform
functions in a humanlike manner. By extension, robotics is the
engineering discipline dealing with
the design, construction, and operation of robots.
The concept of artificial humans predates recorded history (see automaton), but the modern term robot derives
from the Czech word robota (“forced
labour” or “serf”), used in Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R. (1920). The play’s robots were manufactured humans,
heartlessly exploited by factory owners until they revolted and ultimately
destroyed humanity. Whether they were biological, like the monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818),
or mechanical was not specified, but the mechanical alternative inspired generations of inventors to build electrical
humanoids.
The word robotics first appeared in Isaac
Asimov’s science-fiction story Runaround (1942).
Along with Asimov’s later robot stories, it set a new standard of plausibility
about the likely difficulty of developing intelligent robots and the technical
and social problems that might result. Runaround also
contained Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics:
·
1. A robot may not
injure a human
being, or, through inaction,
allow a human being to come to harm.
·
2. A robot must obey
the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict
with the First Law.
·
3. A robot must
protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the
First or Second Law.
What can robots do?
Essentially, there are as many different types
of robots as there are tasks for them to perform. Robots can perform some tasks
better than humans, but others are best left to people and not machines.
The following are things robots do better than
humans:
·
Automate manual or repetitive activities in corporate or
industrial settings.
·
Work in unpredictable or hazardous environments to spot hazards
like gas leaks.
·
Process and deliver reports for enterprise security.
·
Fill out pharmaceutical prescriptions and prep IVs.
·
Deliver online orders, room service and even food packets during
emergencies.
·
Assist during surgeries.
·
Robots can also make music, monitor shorelines for dangerous
predators, help with search and rescue and even assist with food preparation.
Despite their increasing ubiquity, there are
several shortcomings to using robots.
They can, for example:
·
perform surgeries but not soothe scared patients;
·
sense furtive footsteps in a closed-off area, but not take
action against gate-crashers;
·
lead exercise sessions for the elderly but not ease their
loneliness;
·
help medical professionals with diagnoses, but not empathize
with patients; and
·
learn from data, but not correctly respond to unexpected
situations.
The increasingly complex capabilities of
robots will eventually eliminate some human tasks, but not all. Current
robotics technology can automate only 25% of tasks in unpredictable, human-dependent areas
like construction and nursing. But robots depend on human programming -- and
they (likely) always will.
Types of robots:
There are as many different types of robots as
there are tasks.
1. Androids
Androids are robots that resemble humans. They
are often mobile, moving around on wheels or a track drive. According to the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, these humanoid robots are used in areas such as caregiving and personal
assistance, search and rescue, space exploration and research, entertainment
and education, public relations and healthcare, and manufacturing. As use
cases and applications explode, the android market is poised to hit $13 billion
by 2026.
2. Telechir
A telechir is a complex robot that is remotely
controlled by a human operator for a telepresence system. It gives that
individual the sense of being on location in a remote, dangerous or alien
environment, and enables them to interact with it since the telechir continuously
provides sensory feedback.
3. Telepresence robot
A telepresence robot simulates the experience -- and some
capabilities -- of being physically present at a location. It combines remote
monitoring and control via telemetry sent over radio, wires or optical fibers,
and enables remote business consultations, healthcare, home monitoring,
childcare and more.
4. Industrial robot
The IFR (International Federation of
Robotics) defines an industrial robot as an
"automatically controlled, reprogrammable multipurpose manipulator
programmable in three or more axes." Users can adapt these robots to
different applications as well. Combining these robots with AI has helped
businesses move them beyond simple automation to higher-level and
more complex tasks.
In 2019, there were over 390,000 industrial
robots installed worldwide, according to the IFR -- with China, Japan and the
U.S. leading the way.
In industrial settings, such robots can do the
following:
·
optimize process performance;
·
automate production to increase productivity and efficiency;
·
speed up product development;
·
enhance safety; and
·
lower costs.
5. Swarm robot
Swarm robots (aka insect robots) work in fleets
ranging from a few to thousands, all under the supervision of a single
controller. These robots are analogous to insect colonies, in that they exhibit
simple behaviors individually, but demonstrate behaviors that are more
sophisticated with an ability to carry out complex tasks in total.
6. Smart robot
This is the most advanced kind of robot. The
smart robot has a built-in AI system that learns from its environment and
experiences to build knowledge and enhance capabilities to continuously
improve. A smart robot can collaborate with humans and help solve problems in
areas like the following:
·
agricultural labor shortages;
·
food waste;
·
study of marine ecosystems;
·
product organization in warehouses; and
·
clearing of debris from disaster zones.
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