It’s a common misconception that robots should be like humans. Actually, if they did, it means compromising their potential as a computing machine capable of processing billions of instructions per second while asking fringe benefits and leave benefits from their employers.

We’ve seen movies portray robots of the future with terms like “humanoids” or “Cyborgs” that stand for cybernetic organisms. There’s rarely much truth in them. Robots today are mostly stationary machines with tentacular armatures that perform multiple and often simultaneous tasks that churn out complete cars, trucks, appliances and motherboards and other complex electronic circuits.

But the objective remains to impart human-like quality in robots at least in the areas of stable mobility and cognitive interactivity for robotic science to consider

Human Interaction

The cognitive ability to respond and elicit response with humans is the defining trait of robotic application if it is to mimic human cognitive traits. Speech recognition, instead of command line or GUI input is a minimal requirement. Conversely, data to speech capability is a must. While robots with human-like facial and body features can make interaction with humans easy, this is not necessary.

Some strides have enabled servo-assisted mechanical eyelids, eyebrows and some semblance of lips articulating the spoken word can be programmed to show facial expressions. Artificial emotion of a limited range can also be defined like surprise, sadness, elation that mimics those exhibited by C3PO in Star Wars and Pixar’s Wall-E.

Learning Abilities and Full Autonomy

There are now AI-based inference engines that can accumulate information and analyze their trends and patterns to make recommended solutions when interrogated. They are commonly used in computer and telecommunication help-desk functions. This facility can now be applied to robotic application to support full autonomy for robots to make decisions and actions within their prescribed task directive. In other words, once turned on, they can do their task with no human control unless there are override commands built into the program.

Locomotion

While not really necessary, we’ve all seen how the movies portray robots as mobile electro-mechanical machines that use either motorized wheels of feet-like parts to move around. There are already mobile robots in some high end hospitals that delivery medication to patients on motorized wheels, not on leg-like contraptions. Human-like feet is nice to have but robotic engineers will have to factor in balancing mechanisms which humans have in their ears so they don’t fall on unstable two legs.

Perhaps tri-pod like tentacles can provide better stability in this area without having to bother with such balancing mechanics. Motorized wheels on all fours remain the most viable option.

Social Implications of Near-Human like Robots.

This subject has been excellently explored in many science fictions novels and movies. The most recent was Spielberg’s A.T. or Artificial Intelligence. It basically asks how we should treat robots that behave and look like humans. Do we treat them as social being with rights to life or existence. Even the blockbuster I,Robot posits that same dilemma.

If robots start to exhibit human emotions and responses, how do we deal with them. Well, this is best left answered by moralists and technological psychologists with the end in view of protecting human life and its innate dignity more than anything. Suffice it to say that we are still quite a long way for robotic science to make robots a common street and household appliance, much less mistake them for humans. GP

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Ruhfus are specialists in hydraulic cylinders and recommends Emics, a privately owned laboratory specialising in calibration services.

For so long the applied science of computers and electro-mechanical engineering has ushered in robotics to vastly improve mass production in just about any complex machinery on earth.

You have manufacturing companies ranging from pharmaceuticals, food preparation, bottling, distilleries, cigarette manufacturing, automotive and electrical appliance manufacturing, to mention some, harnessing the immediate efficiencies of robots to churn thousands of commercial products in days where it would have taken human hands to finish in months.

For most of the last half of the 20th century, robotics have replaced humans in performing tedious, repetitive manufacturing routines with none of employment-related costs like fringes and leave benefits. Of course, you still need to have maintenance downtimes on these robotic contraptions.

Autonomic Robots

One can define a robot as an autonomous computer. Its electro-mechanical features that can manipulate objects, recognize sights and sounds and perform mundane repetitive or dangerous tasks are simple I/O interfaces like you PC printers to get things done based on an inferential engine that can create instructions without the help of human intervention. In short, they have complete autonomy.

Some of the marvels of the last years of the 20th century have harnessed robotic science to engineer automatic response from computer-assisted contraptions. When your car is on cruise along the highway, it is basically invoking a robotic autonomy that controls the car without the driver doing anything, except to manually over-ride it and thus, disengages the robotic-like autonomy. When the new generation aircrafts form Airbus and Boeing are on cruise in mid-flight, the same robotic-like autonomy is engaged.

Nearer to home, when you program your microwave ovens or the VCR player to start recording at a certain time of the day, you are benefiting from robotic-like features, Even the music jukeboxes of the 50s have robotic features that allow a bank of 45 rpm records to be selected on cue, played and then returned by a robotic arm.

Robotic Applications

There are now a number of prototype robots possessing locomotive and androgenic similarities to humans. They can walk, climb steps and even play ping pong. Earlier, thinking computers that can process billions of simulations have successfully played and defeated chess champions. Technology now needs to put all that into computational power in a robotic application the size of a human brain and can be motive enough to become human companions. Sound like science fiction, alright. But it will still take a generation or two to get there.

In the meantime, robotics have increasingly found their way in scientific exploration, police and military application as well as industrial manufacturing. You have robots that can be deployed to analyze volcanoes and hurricane formation and other dangerous exploratory endeavors that are hazardous to health.

Unmanned vehicles with acute sensors are deployed by para-military police to survey criminal activity and location prior to an attack. In actual military combats, similar devices on flying aircraft or helicopter-like drones can penetrate hostile territories for both surveillance and bombing missions.

They have the same lethal promise as missiles but still return to base after a successful bombing run. NASA has likewise deployed unmanned robotic spacecraft remotely controlled to explore the outer reaches of the galaxy where human sojourn remains difficult.

Peaceful uses of robotic science has found it way, not only in manufacturing plants, but in hospitals that employ robots on wheels to deliver medication to patients and can interface with computerized elevator to get into floors. The day will come when all household help from robots will became a reality. GP

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Ruhfus are specialists in hydraulic cylinders and recommends Emics, a privately owned laboratory specialising in calibration services.

With ther internet playing an increasingly important role in peoples lives, the demands for intelligent search and filter functions has become more and more important.

In its simplest form - searching data on the internet. I recently read a story about a US company called Demand Media which churns out around 4000 articles a day. Some people refer to it as a ”spam” or “just good enough not to be spam” but if you can do the math – this company is putting 4000 pages on to the internet with the intention of effectively fooling search engines into finding their sites first.

 Another example is the Artificial Intelligence (AI) built into video games that ensure hours of play. Games have become increasingly smarter and the demands by users on developers has also morphed.

The other example is the impact of robotics on the South African workforce. I have interviewed a number of CEO’s over the course of the year including in the industrial, manufacturing and chemical sectors and almost all of them have said that they will be seeking out mechanised / robotic solutions to try and reduce their dependance on “costly” labour… “a robot doesn’t go on strike” was a comment made by one of them.

My main thinking here is to use this blog to chat about developments in the sector and try and highlight some of the major success stories locally. I’d like to use this blog to stimulate discussion around the sector and welcome thoughts, comments and criticism.