Chapter Nine of Thirteen
Chapter 9: A.I. & Robotics
Until recently, robotics has been limited mostly to university, military, and private research. Most of the robotic inventions would rarely leave the laboratory, and become commercially viable products. Many of the short-comings involved the lack of computing power, or network bandwidth to process the immense amount of data needed to immolate human nature or nature itself. With the upcoming of the GPU's ability to process data locally, using computing embedded within the robot, now allows for robotics to cut the chords from the confines of the laboratory, creating applications with commercial success and practicality, unhindered by the limitation of prior technologies.
Robots today, are used for everything from your home vacuum to conducting exploratory missions on distant planets. In the future, as mankind develops new technologies that remove the need for manual labor, robotics will become integral. Robotics will become even more important, as we develop beyond a one planet civilization, and look past our own solar system, galaxy, and local galactic cluster, to more distant parts of the universe. During these intergalactic journey's human life may not be the most formidable to send on exotic missions into space.
The flexibility and dexterity of autonomous systems, and acceptability upon loss of the device make it practical for dangerous missions, disaster relief, search and rescue, including applications in other dangerous areas in order to preserve human life. In the following Chapter, we will look at the Three Robotic Laws, explore the various domains within the field of robotics, and touch on future applications.
Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics consist of the following: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, 2) A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws. These laws do not take into consideration the entirety of nature that a robot may come in contact with, and the laws governing such interactions. There are many unanswered ethical questions, such as a robot choosing between an owner and another actor the owner seeks to inflict harm upon. Does the robot intervene? These complex relationships must be governed by a higher thought and providence. Now, let us explore the various domains of robotics.
1. Pre-programmed Robots - Pre-programmed robots are hard-coded to conduct different types of tasks and other automated functions. They do not have the capability, however, to react to changing variables in an environment. They also are not human-operated. One of the most heavily automated industries is the automotive sector, where the robots are pre-programmed to repeat very specific tasks over and over again. One of the examples we will explore here, concern pre-programmed robots on the factory floor of the Lamborghini production line. The robots can be seen handling complex tasks, but they are not yet adaptable, nor do they learn on their own.
2. Humanoid Robots - A humanoid robot has a human appearance or human features based on human anatomy. Certain models may only contain half of the body of a human. Some humanoids may have a face and mouth, others may not. Androids resemble a male robot, and Gynoids, represent the human female form. In the following examples, we are going to show a wide variety of humanoid robots, which include a few who are not, but it will still provide a clear idea concerning the current state of the industry, what is possible, and what limits can be broken.
3. Autonomous Robots - Autonomous robots are intelligent machines capable of performing tasks in the world by themselves, without explicit human control. Autonomous robots can range from drones, self-driving cars, satellites, and deep space rovers. During the Covid-19 era, there was a rise in interest in robotics, and especially automation, as unemployment levels rose and fear of a second wave of the pandemic forced employers to explore alternative ways to do business without exposing humans to the virus. In the following examples, we will explore modern autonomous robotics within the scope of the delivery sector.
4. Teleoperated Robots - The robotic teleoperation system consists of the the master manipulator on one end of a network connection, and the controlled robot on the other end. This technology has already been used to conduct remote surgeries, but has yet to gain widespread adoption as cost, latency, and availability are barriers. It is expected that with the transition to 5G and 6G communications networks, that much of this will change. In the following example, we will look at robotic teleoperation technology in 6D, including haptic feedback for conducting complex remote operations.
5. Augmenting Robots - Augmenting robots generally enhances capabilities that a person already has or replaces capabilities lost. A great example consists of prosthetic limbs a veteran may have lost in war. These devices can respond to neural signals sent by the patient, such as being connected to muscles, in a process called, "muscle reinnervation". Current research and development is being conducted to connect prosthetic limbs to a patients brain, in order to allow the patient to control their limbs by pure thought. In the following media, we will explore modern ways that prosthetic limbs are empowering human ambition around the globe.
Let us explore a robotic future. In this reality it is the norm to own one or multiple robots. A key to robotic integration in human society, is emotion detection and analysis by machines. It is a universal axiom, that there must be some connection in order for there to be any transfer of anything, such as knowledge or the acceptance of an integrated robotic-human destiny. The more we focus on the destiny of future robots, the more we must analyze the future of human beings. What will they spend their time doing if most tasks are automated? With the newfound access to infinite amounts of data and knowledge, what will mankind do with such knowledge and power? Where does such a civilization go? What is its trajectory? I think it is early enough to still determine these important questions. It is up to the student what they become, and the reality they choose, so choose wisely.
The field of robotics is one that is expensive, complicated, and foreign to most. However, the field is rapidly making strides in its advancement due to the coming of Artificial Intelligence, and the Post-Covid-19 era will force many employers, owners, and shareholders, to rethink how they deploy capital to acquire profits. Many companies will plan for future pandemics, which will continue to expedite the adoption of automation within modern and future firms, which will also change the dynamics of the workforce, educational system, social systems, financial markets, and healthcare systems. Human beings must re-imagine life without the common drudgery of labor, and imagine what they would do with their time, if the possibilities were infinite.
Exercises
What is the difference between Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Can you name three different ways they may be different?
Are there examples of Robotics that are ingrained in our everyday lives? Can you name at least three examples?
How will Robotics impact your Artificial Intelligence Project? Is Robotics necessary at all? If so, how will you use Robotics to enhance your project? Here are more examples of Robotics and cutting-edge research.
Is there any everyday technology you interact with that is considered to be Robotic? Why or why not? If the device can be used for additional Robotics, which Applications would you deploy on the Robot? Why?
Ean Mikale, J.D., is an eight-time author with 11 years of experience in the AI industry. He serves as the Principal Engineer of Infinite 8 Industries, Inc., and is the IEEE Chair of the Hybrid Quantum-inspired Internet Protocol Industry Connections Group. He has initiated and directed his companies 7-year Nvidia Inception and Metropolis Partnerships. Mikale has created dozens of AI Assistants, many of which are currently in production. His clientele includes Fortune 500 Companies, Big Three Consulting Firms, and leading World Governments. He is a former graduate of IBM's Global Entrepreneur Program, AWS for Startups, Oracle for Startups, and Accelerate with Google. Finally, he is the creator of the World's First Hybrid Quantum Internet Layer, InfiNET. As an Industry Expert, he has also led coursework at Institutions, such as Columbia and MIT. Follow him on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook: @eanmikale