Recent developments in robotics

Unlike the "cyborgs" beloved by TV and movies, robots today are deaf, dumb, blind and anchored to the spot. In fact they are actually rather crude machines, capable only of following a programmed sequence of steps and with no ability to respond to changes in their environment.



But does this mean the sci-fi writer's dream of androids replacing humans will never be realized? A brief review of the major themes in robotics research will show that this nightmare scenario is still some way off.



Most robots today are used in industrial situations where they weld and paint car bodies, load machines, and apply beads of sealant. What little research is going on into industrial robots is aimed at increasing the utility of these machines by:



* Giving the robot more awareness of its environment through the use of multiple sensors (especially cameras.)



* Improving the flexibility of the robot through re-configurable grippers and finding ways to program the robot offline in a simulated environment (think Second Life.)



* Broadening the range of tasks the robot can perform by enabling it to move faster, and with greater accuracy, and to carry greater loads.



The "hot" areas for robotics research are in military and healthcare applications. The military is primarily interested in developing autonomous vehicles while healthcare applications range from robot nurses to robot surgeons. Let's look at each of these in turn.



The military would like to keep their most precious resource, (men and women,) out of harms way. To this end, the DARPA "Challenge" was conceived to spur development of driverless vehicles, the goal being to produce robot vehicles that can traverse routes too dangerous for humans. The million dollar prize encouraged several teams from universities and the private sector to build vehicles that could take in data from multiple sensors such as radar, cameras and infra-red detectors, and navigate through complex environments. Unmanned vehicles are yet to debut on the battlefield, but they are not far off.



On the healthcare front, as our population ages one of the biggest challenges is going to be caring for the growing numbers of frail and infirm centenarians. To this end, many researchers are working on forms of robot nurse. Some of these will bring meals or medicines while others help people to bathe and even change their bed sheets. Some scientists are even working on robot companions that will help ward off loneliness.



Hospitals are also beginning to explore the potential of robot surgery. The da Vinci surgical system, while not strictly a robot in the truest sense of the word, shows the direction the technology is moving. In the future many surgeries will benefit from the superior precision, repeatability and speed of robotics.



Closer to home, while Rosie, the robot who cared for The Jetsons, remains out of reach, we are starting to see domestic robots. These have been designed to perform a single task, such as vacuuming our house, cutting our lawn, or cleaning our pool. One of the biggest challenges for engineers of these products is to extend battery life.



Our cars are also going to develop more robot-like capabilities. By adding cameras to electronic braking, steering and GPS systems, they will not only sense an impending accident but take evasive action. From there it's only a small step to a car that can drive us to the office while we sit back and read the newspaper (if they still exist!)



Mobile robots are also under development for agriculture. Already there are robots that prune grape vines, while others drive tractors that apply fertilizers or sow seeds. As with all branches of robotics, improved sensor technology will combine with more powerful computers to increase the ability of these machines to deal with an unstructured environment.



So do we need to fear the "rise of the machines?" No, we don't, for the simple reason that while robots are becoming ever more adept at working in the real, unstructured, world, they are still only machines that follow a computer program. For now the development of intelligent machines that can think and reason as we do still lies in the realm of science fiction.

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