Robotics keeps evolving at a rapid pace and it is inevitable that paranoia regarding this technology will also evolve. Currently, many people are afraid that these robots will steal our jobs while others are afraid that they will replace human existence as a whole. These fears are true and false at the same time. People have worried about machines replacing human labor since the invention of the wheel, but imagine if it was ignored simply because people were scared.
As discussed in many articles in this site technological advancement will ultimately benefit mankind and at the end of the day create jobs that we can’t even think about today. Now let us look at some of the physical advancements in the robotics field and what exactly they are capable of.
Sony Aibo
A robotic dog that functions as both a pet and a toy launched in 2018, its Al features allow it to act and behave like a real dog even to the extent of recognizing an owner’s face and voice. The core algorithms of this robot are stored in a collective cloud network that allows one unit to learn from the experience of all the other units in existence.
Honda Asimo
Asimo can learn independently, perform the bipedal motion, and even climb stairs. Bipedal motion is extremely difficult for robots as humans learn this innately through our DNA and years of effort from crawling to running. A robot has to maintain its balance while remaining upright and keep moving. Each of these requires complex algorithms but add in a chaotic real-world scenario, it becomes almost impossible.
Toyota THR-3
A more functional robot than the previous one – it fulfills a number of tasks such as cleaning, construction, or even companionship. It is capable of both autonomous action and remote control through motion capture. The hybrid feature-list makes this invention truly special.
This was popularised by a series of videos that appeared on the Boston Dynamics YouTube channel that showcased it in a creative way. A highly mobile and autonomous unit that can observe any number of instances through its variety of sensors. So far use cases have ranged from NASA organized exploration to monitoring Covid-19 precautions in Singapore.
Samsung Bot Retail
A retail worker capable of navigating crowds, directing visitors, providing instructions on placement, and even offering advice. It also accepts payments from customers using NFC. It can analyze human language and facial expressions to predict possible beneficial reactions.
Hanson Robotics Sophia
An Android come to life this robot, this robot was made to look like late actress Audrey Hepburn, it is capable of realistic facial expressions and can engage in active human conversation. The robot was granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia in 2017 and has claimed that it (she?) wants to “destroy human” because of a technical glitch during a demonstration in 2016.
Robotics will continue to evolve and produce extremely useful results, processes, and applications that make human life easier.
