Robots have been around for decades with the first one joining General Motors’ assembly line in 1961. It’s however only these last couple of years with rapid advances in technology that robotics has started capturing mainstream media and consumer attention.
As is the case with most exponential technologies there are opposing views: one of fear and risk of job loss due to automation, and one of increased productivity and safety.
Robots are essentially programmable machines that can sense and act on their environment. They’ve come a long way from the Roomba cleaning your house.
You’ve probably heard of Sophia, the world’s first robot citizen, or have seen Boston Dynamics’ robot Atlas do backflips and run outdoors.
In countries like China more and more workers are being replaced by robots, and technologies such as 3D printing and deep learning are aiding their explosion on the scene. Currently most are task-specific, with general-purpose robots (i.e. those that can independently perform a variety of functions) likely being a decade or more away.
It’s not just in the industrial workplace where robots are creating impact; they might become your next surgeon, chef or personal assistant. One of their latest feat has been the assembly of IKEA furniture – so you might ask, what can’t they do? 🙂
🤯 Dr. Hanson, the creator of Sophia, says androids will share the same civil rights as humans by the year 2045, including the right to marry both people and other robots.
A robot does not need to sleep, take holidays or sick leaves hence saving companies a considerable amount of time and money. The boost in speed and productivity will reduce production costs and in turn product price.
A robot that can train itself to perform a task 100,000 times will drastically reduce mistakes a human would make, for example in precision surgery. The same goes for autonomous vehicles and road accident reduction, or for the performance of hazardous tasks like walking through fire or the rescue work after a natural disaster.
Robots can help automate repetitive, dull or low-skill tasks allowing us to focus on more meaningful and impactful work. They can also pick up work which would require above-human capabilities like lifting heavy objects.
Asia might be leading the robotic revolution, but widespread automation is coming to nations across the globe.
Let’s look at the technology’s growing importance and applicability across a range of diverse industries.
Collaborative robots or ‘cobots’ such as those of Universal Robots collaborate with human workers for improved productivity, efficiency and safety, all while lowering production costs.
The automation of warehouse and logistics is currently where most of the impact of robotics in manufacturing is seen.
It takes about 500,000 man-days to erect a 30-story building. One of the most manual-intensive industries is in desperate need of disruption.
In a first phase, robots for bricklaying, masonry and demolition will save thousands of hours and help relieve some of the back-breaking labor.
3D Robotics is building site-scanning drones which take accurate aerial data of your jobsite and convert photos into maps and models, while Built Robotics is bringing self-driving excavators to the construction site.
From cobots on the factory floor to supporting medical staff and improving the patient experience, the global robotics market is booming.
Robotic surgery is on the rise with surgical systems such as da Vinci helping surgeons perform more complex and precise procedures, and with some reports expecting the global surgical robotics market size to reach $98 billion by 2024. Auris Health on the other hand is assisting doctors with more accurate diagnosis of lung cancer.
Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence are already improving patient healthcare and reinventing the industry. The rehabilitation exoskeletons of ReWalk Robotics help the paralyzed to walk, while ‘carebots’ are being experimented with to assist nurses with lifting patients. This technology is becoming increasingly affordable and will be instrumental in helping the paralyzed and elderly regain mobility.
Therapeutic robots are predominantly in Asia being used to comfort elderly patients and those with mental health issues. ElliQ is one of the smart robot and personal voice assistants designed to keep elderly adults engaged and connected to the outside world, while Pillo dispenses their medication.
With more and more consumers favoring online stores for all their shopping needs, efficiency in order fulfillment has become increasingly important. Amazon already has over 100,000 automated robots in its warehouses working alongside human employees for faster order fulfillment, checking inventory and product pricing, and even to help find out what’s selling on the shelves.
Bossa Nova is one of the leading companies creating service robots that help store employees keep track of their shelves, while CommonSense Robotics is building micro-fulfilment centers powered by robotics allowing online grocery retailers to offer 1-hour delivery service.
Robots are of course not only to be found in the back office and warehouse. Pepper is a popular friendly-looking humanoid robot that can assist customers in locating the items they’re looking for and answer their questions. He can identify your emotions based on your voice, the expression on your face and your body movements, and select the behavior best suited to the situation.
The retail store of the future will be powered by AI, computer vision and robotics. Numerous opportunities will come to those who can leverage the enormous volumes of new data gathered for actionable insights and creating a new and superior customer experience.
About 40% of farm costs go to wages. What used to be one of the most labor-intensive industries, is increasingly being automated and run by computers.
Autonomous robot farmers are helping ease farming through crop monitoring and harvesting, seeding and weeding, and sorting and packing. Robot tractors use camera guidance and computer vision to navigate the field and recognize plants and fruits from weeds.
ecoRobotix and drone-enabled Agribotix are two of the promising startups supercharging farmer productivity and increasing their revenue. The low energy farming machines also minimize the negative ecological impact of modern agriculture.
Smart farming, with its high-tech nature, might also entice a younger generation to move back into the industry.
As can be observed, robots have become our co-workers and are bringing real benefit across industries with improved efficiencies, sustainable cost reduction and a better customer experience.
🤖 For robots to become widespread and integrated in society, there’s however a long road ahead. Besides much needed technological advances and lower production costs, education is necessary to shift perceptions and gain public acceptance.
A more human-like appearance would not hurt either ;-).
The Three Laws
Science fiction author Isaac Asimov’s rules of robotics:
Humanoid
A robot resembling the appearance of a human.
Cyborg
Cybernetic organism. An organism with both biological and artificial components (e.g. electronic or mechanical).
Cobot
Collaborative robot. A robot which physically works alongside a human in the workplace.
Exoskeleton / Exosuit
A wearable harness allowing for limb movement with increased strength and endurance.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
The automation of business processes using software that can be programmed to automatically handle computer tasks that are highly structured, routine, and repetitive just as humans do.
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Helping businesses automate monotonous processes through collaborative robots with payloads of up to 10 kg.
Creating robots to improve urban neighborhood living such as those for the delivery of groceries, meals, and medicine.
A Dubai-based startup enabling kids and young adults to create and build working robots from almost anything.
A startup unicorn focused on building intelligent humanoid robots and on a mission to bring one into every home.
Developed a germ-zapping robot for the healthcare industry which uses UV light to disinfect hospital rooms.
The company developed ‘Chuck’, a collaborative mobile robot which helps warehouse workers pick and pack orders making fulfillment easier.
Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. The Arduino robot is a tiny robot on wheels which allows you to learn about electronics, mechanics, and software.
A toolbox with algorithms and hardware connectivity for developing autonomous robotics applications. They also offer an engineering kit letting you assemble a whiteboard drawing robot and mobile rover.
A programmable robotics construction series letting people of all ages build, program and command their own LEGO robots.
Most known for V-REP, a virtual robot experimentation platform, allowing you to create, compose and simulate any robot.
