Robots Robotics and the Future

¶ … medieval automatons to the first humanoid robot ELEKTRO, from Isaac Asimov's pioneering research to the use of robotic arms in surgery, robotics have been one of the most important areas of applied science throughout history. Robots are being used in almost every industry, allowing the economy to shift towards one that is more service-based and information-oriented.

In fact, some recent advancements in robotics shows that artificial intelligence can be combined with the more mundane features of the automaton to create genuinely powerful and intelligent machines that can make decisions and think critically and possibly even creatively. Although it seems like science fiction, robotics remains one of the most important areas of scientific inquiry because these tools have the power to improve medicine and health care, to all types of transportation and communication services, and to advance understanding of the human mind and brain.

The historical background of robotics shows that robots have been used considerably in the healthcare field. Robots already have the power to streamline healthcare delivery, reduce medical errors, and improve overall quality of care as well as patient outcomes. There is an abundance of uses for robots in healthcare, and they are already being used in several ways such as surgery and even helping patients to eat (McNickle).

Robots have been used in healthcare since the first robotic surgery system was approved in 2000, but newer robots are performing radically different functions such as helping people communicate who otherwise cannot, or helping people like seniors who may be unable to provide many daily self-care functions (McNickle). Robots have also been shown to be as effective as animals in helping elderly people feel better (Shibata and Wada).

The future of robotics in healthcare is undoubtedly going to assist healthcare workers like doctors and nurses with every aspect of healthcare delivery from providing accurate diagnoses to performing the latest medical interventions. It is important to understand the significance of robotics as changing the labor market and transforming the ways people live and work. The worlds of transportation and communication services are being transformed through robotics.

Self-driving cars are one of the most promising and important future applications of robotics, and robotic-type algorithms are being used to enhance communications technologies too (Ford). Vehicles already have some robotic components, such as the autopilot functions on commercial aircraft. Given the advancements in robotics that have already taken place, it is easy to envision the application of robotics in multiple fields of product design and engineering.

Although as Ford points out, robotics challenge the job market to come up with new roles for human beings, robots do not pose a serious threat to jobs in the long run if people continue to be creative and discover new ways of working alongside robots in every sector. Because of the ethical conundrums that robots may cause, this area of research is especially important and critical to understand and analyze.

One thing is certain: robots are already a part of our daily lives and will become even more entrenched in our society in the near future. I have always been fascinated with robots, which is why I opted to do more investigation in this subject area. Yet what I did not know before and realize more now is that robots challenge social scientists and policy makers every bit as much as engineers (Lin, Abney and Bekey).

Especially exciting for the future is the fusion of robotics with artificial intelligence, so that the service robots of the future are becoming " self-aware, intelligent and able to navigate changing environments, even chaotic hospital settings," (McNickle 1). All people, even those who use very little technology, need to understand the role that robots are already playing in our lives and prepare for a new type of labor market in the future.

Future research will reveal the ways robots are being used in military combat situations to save human lives, for companionship and even sex, and for exploring the farthest reaches of outer space (Lin, Abney and Bekey). It is impossible to not care about or be fascinated with robotics, even for those who lack the understanding of how robots work. In addition to providing practical means to facilitate healthcare, transportation, and communication, robots also provide insight into the way the human mind and brain works.

Indeed, one of the most promising future applications for the future of robotics is in the areas of psychology and cognitive science. Robots could actually be the key to unlocking some of the secrets of human consciousness and are already being used in the field of cognitive science and are being used also in psychology. For example, researchers are starting to use robots to better understand the cognitive and neurological processes involved in autism (Boucenna, et al.).

Research is showing that robots can help understand how autism works and also provide help to people who are autistic such as providing a non-threatening humanlike figure to help with developmental comunication (Boucenna et al. and Takashi, et al.). Robotic game systems are not just for entertainment; they can also be used to help people improve what is known as "mentalizing," or guessing another person's mental state (Takashi, et al.). These findings are especially meaningful for the study of autism, and can be extended to research in other psychological issues.

Robotics is no longer the province of science fiction, as human beings are already working alongside robots and will continue to do so.