I, Robot: What is Needed to Know About Robotics
The growth of robotics has been very rapid due to advancements in technology and research. This growth has also directly affected various industries by driving efficiencies in manufacturing. While there are still debates about the effect on society, including armageddon-like representation in pop culture, it’s still a fact that the field of robotics is here to stay. Nevertheless, this word was first used by a Czech writer, Karel Capek, in his play ‘Rossum Universal Robots’ which was published in 1920 while the term ‘robotics’ was first used in a short story title ‘Runaround’ written by the science fiction author, Isaac Asimov, in 1942.
Robots are of different types and shapes and they perform various functions depending on the environment of their use, despite these differences, they are all mechanically constructed, this explains their ability to carry out specific tasks, electrically powered – most robots are powered by electric current (for instance, a battery) – this enables them to do their tasks. Lastly, robots are programmed, programming enables them to know what to do and how it must be done. However, Robots do not necessarily have to be in physical forms, different types of robots exist entirely as software and perform tasks in that state, these types are mostly found on computers.
Isaac Asimov, the science fiction author who came up with the term ‘robotics’, similarly advanced the three laws of robotics, these laws are still applicable to date:
- Robots must never harm human beings;
- Robots must follow instructions from humans without violating the first law;
- Robots must protect themselves without violating other laws.
Human Interaction with Robots
Presently, speech communication is unnatural to robots, this is opposed to what we see and read in many science fiction movies and books, yet again, it can only be said that the science fiction writers are forward thinkers. Great strides have been made, few robots can read gestures and make facial expressions, also, we have systems that can recognize speech and also identify human’s emotions from their voices. The limitation to robots understanding sounds coming from humans is due to speech variability, this can be a result of a medical illness, variances in accent, intonation, etc. The robotics world is moving very fast, soon we would have many robots with individual personalities, artificial emotions, and those that can exhibit social intelligence.
Functions of Robots
In describing the functions of robots, they are classified into two – dependent and independent robots. Independent robots replace humans, they do not require direct human control, these kinds of robots follow and act based on their programming. They are useful in carrying out hazardous tasks that undermine the safety of humans, these are mostly used for automation in factories, space expeditions, nuclear weapons creation, evacuation of humans in dangerous sites, bomb disposal, etc. Dependent robots on the other hand, as the name implies, require direct human operators, they are designed to supplement humans’ actions. The examples of dependent robots are varied, they are in every field; medicine, law, hospitality, etc.
Generally, we have industrial robots that aid in the manufacturing process, according to US data by the Robotics Industries Association, 52% of the sales of robots was made to automotive industries in 2016. Robots have been involved in countries’ military operations, also construction robots, for instance, robotic arms and robotic exoskeleton are very popular and helpful. In the field of medicine, the da Vinci Surgical System and Hospi have saved a lot of lives, the list of the functions of robots goes on, it is safe to conclude that robotics has been beneficial to humans.
Conclusion
The growth of robotics has been swift, it is evident that it is here to stay, hence, everyone must take cognizance of the machines that would continue to shape their lives from now and in years to come. Nowadays robots - are not some sort of science fiction as it was in the book “I, Robot”, they are modern “creatures” that live with us, human. Robots have been a great substitute for humans in the performance of hazardous and difficult tasks but many still worry about the possibility of its total replacement of humans, in future what would be required is the combination of both the human and the robots’ skills.
