Gone are the days where we instantly think of robots as cyborgs. We don’t see them as armed metal creatures or autonomous humanoid machines. We even understand the term Android as the mobile operating system from Google. People have gone past the typical concept of a robot as most are already aware of the different forms and applications of robotics. But when and how will robots change the world?
Robotics are no longer a mere subject of science fiction novels, movies, and TV shows. They already coexist with people in various settings, albeit not in the form sci-fi stories used to depict them. Many even believe that they have the potential to change the world.
Different Real-World Applications of Robotics
Robots have uses in a wide range of settings. As mentioned, they are not just about the stereotypes born out of science fiction literature and pop culture. The following are some of the most notable purposes for robots at present:
Manufacturing or Assembly Lines
Many aspects of manufacturing processes have become automated and robotics play an important role in this automation. Examples of which include robotic welding, assembly, painting, part transfers, and machine tending. Production processes are more efficient. Plus, the outputs are more consistent when we deploy robotics.
Exploration and Navigation
There are places and situations deemed too risky for humans to explore. As such, robots serve as the preferred tools as they can withstand various environmental hazards and, to some extent, perform things humans cannot do. Deep underwater and space exploration are two of the best examples. We also use robots in military navigation and exploration missions.
Agriculture
There are robots in farms. They perform tasks such as automated planting, harvesting, and produce sorting and packing.
Exoskeletons
Also known as powered exoskeletons, robotic exoskeletons are wearable machines that usually integrate pneumatic and hydraulic systems, levers, and electric motors usually to augment limb functions. These machines amplify the strength of their wearers and provide protection, so they can do tasks they otherwise will not be able to do.
Warehouse Logistics
Today, they’re using robots in large warehouses. The AI inspects and moves products around more safely and efficiently than their human counterparts.
Search and Rescue Operations
Disaster response teams enlist the help of robots to facilitate the faster and more efficient location of possible survivors or the mitigation of problems brought about by calamities. Rescuers also employ robots to assist in the surveillance of an area to come up with the best possible courses of action.
Assistive Technology
Assistive robotics helps people with handicaps or debilitating conditions in living independently. There are robotic assistive devices or appliances that help facilitate movement and access for people with physical disabilities.
Replacements for People
Robots can take the place of humans in dangerous jobs or situations. Doing stunts for movies or serving as decoys in military operations are tasks robots can take over.
Benefits of Using Robots
#1 – Accuracy
Robots provide several advantages. For one, they are more accurate and consistent than humans. Precision and consistency are two vital attributes required in manufacturing. Especially when it comes to mass production. You can expect robots to do the same cut over and over again or the same alignment when assembling something. Also, they can complete tasks considerably faster.
#2 – Endless Work Horses
Robots don’t tire, another advantage, so you can put them to work for extended periods and expect the same quality of output. They have some limitations (they can overheat if you make them work non-stop), but they are certainly far superior than human workers in terms of duration of work and quality consistency.
#3 – No Set Workplace or Health Risks
Another noteworthy benefit in using robots is the fact that they only need good ventilation and proper regulation of dust and moisture levels in their work environment. They don’t require lunch breaks, heating, and air-conditioning. They are not like human workers who require a workplace that does not pose health risks and potential injuries.
#4 – No Salaries or Bonuses
Additionally, robots don’t demand salaries, bonuses, and other forms of compensation. As such, they are less costly to deploy. They work with little supervision and only require periodic maintenance. What’s more, they can do tasks in hazardous setups such as the handling of toxic materials.
Drawbacks of Robots
#1 – Human Job Losses
Not everything about robots proves an advantage, though. Robots take away jobs from people. Many companies that turn to automation with the help of robots inevitably have to let go of some of their employees. Some, however, assert that the integration of robots in businesses will be good for everyone in the long run. Robots are not exactly going to take over human jobs, pundits say. Some may be displaced initially.
But the benefits derived from robotics in business operations can lead to other job opportunities for people. It’s just up for people to improve their skills to qualify for more complex and non-repetitive jobs that robots cannot undertake. Still, others say that jobs lost are jobs lost.
#2 – Hefty Manufacturing Prices to Get Robots in the Workforce
Also, the price of robots presents a disadvantage. Robots don’t come cheap. They require hefty capital expenditure, something not many can afford. The associated maintenance and repairs (in case of damage/malfunction) also entail additional costs.
#3 – No Creativity
Moreover, robots cannot go beyond what they are programmed to do. No matter how long they have been in use. Bots never gain experience. Nor do they develop into something similar to what happens when human workers are promoted to higher positions after they gain experience. Also, with half hearted implementation, robots may not work as expected. The robots used in concept hotel in Japan, for example, failed not only because of the poor execution of the idea. They also lacked functions to make them appealing to international guests.
They didn’t offer anything much beyond the novelty. It would have been better if they could do language translations or interactivity similar to what Siri and Alexa do. They didn’t have to do complex tasks like technology translations. They only had to be more appealing to guests, a little bit more functional and actually effective at what they were supposed to do.
#4 – Potentially Critical Problems
Robots are excellent aides to humans, but they are far from perfect. When they mess up, they create critical problems. Especially since they are often used in masse in automation. Human workers in a manufacturing process have the discretion to stop doing something if they notice something is not right. Robots, however, will ceaselessly do what they are programmed to do. Unless, of course, you set them up with complex sensors and AI to spot problems and respond accordingly.
Notable and Potentially World -Changing Robots
You may have heard of the likes of Asimo by Honda, Sony’s Aibo, and the creepy Sophia that made a tour in late night shows in America. They are some of the most advanced robots or most popular robots at present, but not necessarily the most noteworthy as far as function is concerned. When it comes to notability and having the potential to change the world, the following robot models stand out.
Clyde
RoboSimian , also called Clyde, this multi-limbed robot was the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s entry to the DARPA Robotics Challenge in 2013. Although the robot has legs, you can also use it as hands. Designed for disaster response, it can stand on twos or fours with its four general-use appendages capable of turning valves, clearing debris, navigating along uneven terrain, and opening passageways.
Bionic Robot Hand
Ada is a robotic 3D printed hand created by Open Bionics. You can download and print the schematics as long as long as you have a 3D printer. And you can control it through electromyography (EMG). EMG is a technology that detects and records the electrical activity of the skeletal muscles. Ada does not do anything extraordinary for now. But the idea of creating your own robotic hand and controlling it with the electrical activity of your muscles is a significant advancement. It opens a world of possibilities that brings robotics closer to ordinary people.
Exoskeleton
Phoenix , a powered exoskeleton, Phoenix is a form of assistive technology. It is designed for people with mobility disorders. They created Phoenix to be light and less cumbersome while wearing. So you can also wear this advanced exoskeleton throughout most of the day, even if sitting or lying down.
Service Robot
Pepper , developed by Softbank Robotics, Pepper is service robot created with the ability to read emotions through facial expressions and voice. We can use it for commercial, consumer, and academic uses. Commercially, it worked as a receptionist in a number of UK offices and medical facilities in Japan. As a consumer appliance, it is being used in thousands of Japanese homes. Academically, Pepper works as a research and educational robot at academic institutions.
Rover Bot
Curiosity is the rover robot sent by NASA to Mars. It features numerous cameras used for navigation, chemical analysis, hazard avoidance, x-ray spectrometry, radiation assessment, and multiple spectra and true color imaging. Curiosity has a multitude of sensors. It has a dust removal tool, and a nearly-seven-foot-long robotic arm with a cross-shaped turret.
How Robots Will Change the World
Robots are changing the world by helping humans do things better (with greater efficiency) and doing things that were not possible before. Robots facilitate disaster response, augment physical abilities, serve in areas where there’s a need for interaction with people, and enable exploration beyond the boundaries of Earth.
Robotics has applications not only in the field of manufacturing or assembly lines. It is also used in medicine as exemplified by the Phoenix exoskeleton mentioned above and robotic surgery. Additionally, we can use robots in customer service, as a moodiness-free receptionists, for example. Moreover, robots are taking over human jobs deemed too dangerous.
But it’s about more than just robots working in places with high radioactivity or toxic contamination. Robots are also establishing their presence in show business. Disney, for one, developed a robot that can take the place of stuntmen.
Robots are changing the world in mostly positive ways. They may be taking over some human jobs, but they also create better efficiency that, in turn, boosts economic activity, which then generates more opportunities for humans to find ways of generating income.
Robotics and Communications
Robots are capable of doing many things faster, more efficiently, tirelessly, and generally better than how humans do them. However, there’s one thing they are still far from mastering: language translation. This is why Day Translations, Inc. remains relevant in the age of robots and artificial technology. If you need contextually-accurate and precise translation as well as localization solutions, don’t hesitate to contact us via email or by calling us at telephone # 1-800-969-6853.
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