Our life with robots. Where a person cannot or does not want to

The word "robot" conjures up images of famous Hollywood humanoid figures. However, in reality, the robots that have been working for us for decades are, in most cases, mechanical devices, not like those creations programmed to perform certain repetitive functions.

In developed countries (1), robots are already regularly used to perform many tasks that humans cannot or do not want to do because they are tedious, dirty, dangerous or too difficult. The industrial models that work for us today are a wide range of devices, from machines welding parts on assembly lines to collaborating with people in the service industry.

1. The level of industrial robotization in selected countries (data as of July 2018)

can work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without pay or food. They don't get tired or bored. They perform many tasks faster than humans and much more accurately. In everyday life, we sometimes do not even notice that we are dealing with them, for example, when we use self-checkouts in a supermarket or buy tickets for public transport. All this is connected with interaction with service technicians.

However, there are also examples bold robot conceptssuch as, for example, the General Electric project - underwater vehicles that, equipped with X-ray lamps, would control the condition of oil and gas pipelines located on the seabed (2). This technology will help prevent submarine spills, which are extremely costly to the environment and fuel the budgets of companies. Pipes of this type of installation sometimes lie at a depth of up to 3 thousand meters. m, but where there is huge and the sunlight does not reach.

2. Visualization of a robot reflecting underwater pipes

they would not replace people here, as happens, for example, in factories. They will work where a person does not have the slightest chance - under water, without air, at temperatures unbearable by living organisms. Such projects would concern outer space, other planets, moons and asteroids, as well as the harsh Arctic regions explored, for example, without the need to endanger the lives of polar explorers.

Work disappears, but a new one appears

Of course, robots are not only pros and cons. They also have their drawbacks and limitations. They need energy, maintenance and repair. They are not cheap in themselves, and their maintenance costs extra.. Although they can store this information, recording, accessing and retrieving this information is not as efficient as it is for our brains. They can do repetitive work over a long period of time, but they don't experience it in the way humans do.

At least for now, they can't function any other than the way they were programmed. And the programs they run must be updated to adapt to changing demands — so that they learn and become smarter.

There is a problem with the extension job loss and concerns about rise in unemployment. In addition, when using machines indiscriminately, people can become overly dependent on them, losing the ability to work and solve problems on their own.

Key fears about job cuts seem somewhat exaggerated. According to a recent study by Manpower, (AI) and robots are likely to increase the number of jobs as they are created. need for new skills. According to an International Federation of Robotics (IFR) expert report published several years ago, industrial robots are actually creating millions of jobs today, and they will create even more in the future.

The authors of the report explained that robots do not so much deprive people of work as free them from monotonous, monotonous, stressful or simply dangerous work. After the transition of the plant to robotic production, the demand for skilled human labor does not disappear, but grows. Only the least skilled workers will suffer.

However, the dry data clearly show that jobs are disappearing. In late 2017, the McKinsey Global Institute released a report that estimated that the relentless march of automation could cut up to 2030 million jobs in the US alone by year 73.

“This is certainly a factor influencing the future of the workforce,” Elliot Dinkin, a well-known labor market expert, commented in the report. “However, there are indications that its impact on job cuts may be less than expected. For example, the biggest layoffs so far seem to be driven primarily not by high technology, but by market changes, mergers and common bankruptcies.”

Dinkin also notes that, under certain circumstances, automation boosts business and thus encourages job growth rather than job loss. In 1913, the Ford Motor Company introduced the automobile assembly line, reducing assembly time for one unit from twelve hours to about an hour and a half, and allowing for a significant increase in production. Since then, it has ramped up automation and… is still hiring people – in 2011-2017, the number of jobs in this industry increased by almost 50%. Moreover, excess automation even leads to problems with production management, a recent example of which is the Tesla plant in California, where, as the head of the company Elon Musk admitted, some processes were overdone with robotization.

Robot Housekeeper

Will we eventually come to the same conclusions as Musk in our homes, workplaces and recreational areas, where the robot population has been growing rapidly in recent years? A team of robots running around the house with a friend vacuuming Roomba at the forefront, new designs are constantly being added to them. Even controlled by the included remote control or device for automatic window cleaner ALBOHES Z5 (3), also integrated with AI, which, in particular, makes it easy to detect frames or other obstacles on windows.

The house of the future is often depicted as full of robotic "servants". they have exactly clean in swarms and not on the occasion of the “big cleanup”, but regularly, when there are any riots and dirt. In the garden they will follow us step by step lamp robots. And when we buy, for example, furniture in IKEA with not very clear assembly instructions, a robot like Who are youBot, built at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for which Furniture assembly - especially when he invites his mechanical colleague for this - remains fearless. ABOUT security and monitoring devices like robot will take care of it Smart home security CARL. Developed by Design3, it is capable of detecting changes in the environment associated with a fire or water leak, as well as alerting you if someone tries to break in. CARL can be remotely controlled using a smartphone.

When we have a similar guard at our house, we can safely jump to the beach. And on it - so that we can have a pleasant and safe time - he will take care of the order DronyX Solarino Robot Vacuum Cleaner (4), which solves a complex and time-consuming task sand cleaning. He can do it at the rate of 3. m2 per hour. It comes with an extra battery pack to extend its life.

If we prefer a garden, then a self-contained garden will follow the aesthetics. Lawn mower Gardena R80Li (5). Stations and charging docks to start mowing your own when needed. When the grass is the right length, we can, for example, turn it into a football field. The robot will do it for us Step-R, introduced by Nissan at the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final, which will measure, define and track the lines of the playing field.

5. Gardena R80Li robot lawnmower

When we want something to eat or drink "in the city", perhaps we will meet robots there that specialize in making coffeewhile others may be hired as bartender for serving drinks. One example Cafe Xwho, according to the manufacturer, know how to brew coffee from beans better than a barista. The cruise ship Symphony of the Seas uses on board bartender-robot Makr Shakr (6) for mixing and serving drinks in the Bionic Bar. Designed by Italian architect Carl Ratti and built by his company, the two-handed machine can mix an almost endless supply of cocktails from bottles stored on a shelf above the bar. Customers can place orders.

We'll eat at the Creator Restaurant in San Francisco. hamburger made by robotwithout any human intervention. The amazing burger maker takes care of everything from slicing buns to adding meat and spices, all in a complex process that is a spectacle in itself. Those who place an order can see every piece of the cooked burger before their eyes. If someone prefers to cook at home, they might be interested Moley Robotics kitchen helper, published in the January issue of MT, as well as many other automatic and semi-automatic devices for cooking.

Finally, we add that Chinese restaurants have been replacing their employees with robots since 2006. Recently, India also launched the first one in Chennai Robot themed restaurant (7) in which the service is carried out beautiful.

7. At the Robot Theme restaurant in Chennai.

take a pill

Smart voice assistants or smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home are gaining popularity in homes and offices. They can play their favorite music, perform calculations, or search the web with a voice command. You can use them to control lighting or print a document. However, only in combination with robots do they show their power.

More and more devices are appearing on the market, which are a combination of an intelligent assistant and a robot. Panasonic, for example, offers robot egg, stationary robot for companywhich uses natural language processing based on artificial intelligence to communicate. It can be controlled by voice, play video using the built-in projector, and even participate in interactive games. It is connected to a Wi-Fi network, and periodically updated software improves its functions.

Robot hub (8), produced by Korean LG, uses the Amazon Alexa voice assistant to play music and answer questions, but most often connects to a network of LG smart devices such as an oven or washing machine. It also has a round "face" that can become a screen for displaying images and videos. It's a bit like Miki from Bosch, answering questions such as “How is the weather today?” and can control connected Bosch appliances such as dishwashers. Most often used to search for recipes using voice commands. Mykie has a control screen with a set of moving eyes and a projector.

Robotic UBTech Lynx he uses Amazon's voice assistant to answer questions, but he can also read email and has access so he can "monitor the house" when no one is around. It can also recognize faces and change its responses to suit a particular person. Another robot assistant Pillo (9) focuses on household health. It offers a variety of features, including dispensing medications throughout the day, helping you follow care plans, tracking food intake, and more. It is equipped with voice interface, face recognition technology and high quality speakers.

Queue Olly Emotech is committed to learning and personal development through interaction with family members. As the manufacturer explains, this robot uses an artificial intelligence system inspired by the brain. So over time, no two Olly robots will be the same.

care and communication

Japan is the world leader in the practical use of robotics in all areas of life, from restaurants and hotels to care robots. Specialists from the Land of the Rising Sun would like to use robots in many other places, such as construction sites, to replace an aging workforce.but face obstacles and technical difficulties that are not easy to overcome. We wrote about this problem in one of the last issues of MT.

It is here that the so-called robotics is developing most intensively. . Already, older people living in care centers or nursing homes in this country can use robots. Automatic pets help depressed patients and those who need physical activity. Korean Samsung - with an eye not only to the Japanese market - showed off a completely new lineup at CES 2019. caring robots. One of them is Boat Carewhich can perform a number of tasks, such as remembering when to take medication, acting as a heart rate monitor and, if something goes wrong, calling emergency services.

A new robotic offering in the care industry is the Robear (10), designed to lift an elderly patient out of bed into a wheelchair. This is the work of Toshihara Mukai, a scientist who leads the Robot Sensor Systems Research Group at the Riken-SRK Collaborating Center for Human-Robot Research.

such types are produced not only in Asia. Example Nadine - the work of prof. Nadia Thalmann from Switzerland. It is designed to be companion for the elderlyas well as children. prof. Thalmann says isolation and loneliness are some of the main challenges older adults face, and her robot, while not a substitute for loved ones, can partially fill the need for companionship.

Behind criminals and on fire, from the ground and from the air

The police of many countries are already using robots (drones) to search territories and structures in order to detect criminals, and remotely controlled robots are used to check suspicious cars or packages. In the event of hostage-taking and the impossibility of the security services to get close to the place of their detention, a robot (drone) can be sent to collect audiovisual data that will help to better assess the situation and make a decision. Robots are already showing themselves in many dangerous situations for humans.

Order Keeper and a safety inspector in public places can be K1, Knightscope robot. In the era of terrorist attacks, K1 offers a new way to control entry and exit points. It is equipped with sensors and scanners to detect people, weapons and radiation. It broadcasts a live 360-degree image and recognizes license plates. Data from the monitor robot is transmitted and an alarm is triggered when a threat is detected.

Firefighters robots will not replace, at least not yet, but can actively support the fight against fire. Fire Man concept drone (11) can extinguish from the ground and air. It consists of two parts - a ground base, which can direct a fire extinguishing agent like firefighters, and a flying drone floating from it with fire extinguisher cylinders. As you might guess, this allows you to extinguish a fire from places where it is too dangerous for firefighters. The system was built by Jiankun Sun and Kairui Wan.

11. Robot fireman

Dymbot it is a ground-based crawler robot that "sees through thick smoke" and leads a rescue team. It uses thermal imaging and lidar cameras. It was developed by a European consortium led by Örebro University in Sweden.

Something similar to SmokeBot MultiScope Milrem Robotics. Recently, Estonian energy company Enefit used an unmanned ground vehicle to explore a mine that was shut down ten years ago. It was about checking poles in a place that, due to the lack of ceiling protection, remains inaccessible to people. MultiScope Equipped with a series of 3D lid sensors, diesel-electric hybrid drive and data communication capability. It has a load capacity of 1650 kg and an open architecture.

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So - where a person cannot, a robot will squeeze in there. And not only because sometimes a person may or may not want, or is afraid, or just wants to see how the car will behave instead.