Wave Of The Future: Ubiquitous Personal Robots

January 2, 2008 With the dawning of the new year comes the announcement that the personal robot may soon be doing more for the consumer than just vacuum their floors.

According to a report from ABI Research, by the year 2015, consumers will be likely to spend as much for a multitasking humanoid robot as they would for a new car. Most personal robots of today perform a single specific function, but this, according to Phillip Solis, an analyst at the New York-based research firm, is about to change.

The most popular personal robots currently on the market are the iRobot Corps Roomba vacuum cleaners. IRobot currently dominates this market and is increasingly targeting areas outside the US and expanding its product line, Solis said in a statement. Its disciplined approach to keeping products relatively simple and practical has enabled the company to lead the market for task robots.

In October 2007, the Nissan Motor Co. presented its in-car Robot Agent product at the Tokyo Motor Show. The robot, built into the dashboard of the companys premier Pivo 2 concept car, uses its built-in cameras to analyze the facial queues of the driver in order to determine whether they are tired or stressed. The robot will be able to speak in both English and Japanese to persuade the driver to pull over and rest if it perceives this as being necessary.

The South Korean government has also announced plans to build two robot theme parks , designed to include amusement parks, exhibition halls, and stadiums.

According to British artificial intelligence researcher and author of the book Love and Sex With Robots, robots will become so like humans that in the year 2050, human beings will actually begin to marry robots, since, says Levy, robots will advance to the point where they can carry on intelligent

conversations, respond to human emotions, and even display their own emotions. The jerky movements and artificial sounding voices generally associated with robots will become a thing of the past, and these humanlike machines will become aids, friends, and even spouses.

Over the long term, expectations of what robots should be able to do will rise, said Solis in the ABI Research report. The increasing cost of more complex servos and sensors will be balanced increasing value consumers place on willingness by consumers to spend more on robots that can make their lives easier or more fun.

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

To be able to create a synthetic being that could do the mundane chores of our every day lives, has been a goal for us humans for not just the last 20 years, or the last century, but as far back as the ancient Greeks. In 350 BC, the Greek mathematician Archytas built a steam powered mechanical pigeon, that could fly. In 1495, Leonardo Devinci designed what looked like a mechanical Knight. In 1801, Joseph Jacquard built an automated loom, that was controlled by punch cards. The punch cards being likened to a modern day computer program, that told the loom how to work. These are but a few examples of robotics and automata of old. To find more, a simple web search with “history of robots” will bring up a plethora of information for the budding technologist.

When a person is first presented with the term artificial intelligence, they, as long as they have at least a minimal idea of the meaning, immediately conjure up the view of subservient humanoid robots, doing our household chores, policing our streets, or taking on our enemies in a combat zone. These, although being worked on, are quite some way from being a reality. Although, there are robot vacuum cleaners, and automated (robotic) missiles and vehicles to name but a few, but none of any consequence in human form.

There are many hurdles to be crossed before humanoid robots will become common place, not least of all, the mostly negative psychological effect realised by many who our uncomfortable with a visually realistic humanoid automaton.

Walking on two legs, which us humans take for granted, had the problem of balance to solve, and has only recently been mastered, as represented by mechanoids such as sony’s Asimo. And running, although done fairly well by Asimo, still needs a good amount of work before being able take on a human athlete on a running track.

Emulating the human senses has provided computer scientists and engineers with many an obstacle. Mastering sound, vision, touch and taste have been met with varying degrees of success. Sound and visual recognition has come along in leaps and bounds in recent years, and has given us fully automated weaponry that is able to track a target, and hit it with pin point accuracy. Voice recognition has given us voice activated devices such as those used in security systems, and the ability to dictate to a computer and have the computer generate the text from a person’s verbalisation. Special sensors can be used to test (taste,touch) surfaces, chemicals, gasses etc. and analyse them.

The ability to reason with an automated device or robot, is one area that is a long way from being a reality, but an area that has had, and will have many devotees. There are two main branches of research when dealing with artificial intelligence and robotics, the first being the creation of a truly thinking and reasoning artificial life form much like the robots and computers found in fiction, such as Robby from the film The Forbidden Planet, or Data from Star Trek The Next Generation, or the boy from the film Artificial Intelligence. These, for now, are somewhat whimsical, but should never be given up on, and with future advances in technology will at some point become a reality. The other branch is the more realistic approach to making use of the byproducts of the artificial intelligence research, that can be put to use in our day to day lives. This side has brought us the computer and the parts that make up a computer (e.g. integrated circuitry – chips). Automated weaponry and security systems. Automated vehicles and craft, such as spy planes, and trains. Communication systems, such a mobile/cell phones and satellites. In fact, just about every electronic device that is made contains some sort of automation, including cars, vacuum cleaners, gym equipment, buildings, street lighting… to name but a few.

All in all, we would not have the gadget filled electronics eutopia as we do now, if it was not for the people such as Charles Babbage, Alan Turing, and Steve Wozniak, to name but a miniscule number,  who pursued their dreams and as a result positively contributed to the world’s knowledge of artificial intelligence, robotics and computing.