Snail Pace Development of Robots
Humanoid robot designs had been man's fascination some millenniums before Leonardo Da Vinci
even came up with his design in the 1400s. It took around 500 years later for the term "robot" to be invented by Karel Kapek, a play author. It was then followed shortly by the term "robotics" coined by Isaac Asimov
, a science fiction author, to refer to the science and study of robots.
I believe that something is important if it has a name. If you think about it, 500 years to give it a name demonstrates how slow the development of robots had been. To date, more than 50 years later, we are nowhere close to The Bicentennial Man
.
Perhaps one of the most respected thoughts ever laid out on robotics (with artificial intelligence or AI) is Isaac Asimov's introduction of the Three Laws Of Robotics,
which states:
with an ethical and responsible direction.
Historically, the development of robots had been met with numerous challenges and limitations. Early robot designs were really focused on the mechanical aspects. The introduction of computers in the mid-1900s fueled a tremendous amount of interest in programming and developing AIs. Over time, however, the real challenge went back to the mechanics of the machine. There were problems on how to simulate the joint. It was almost impossible to give the robot awareness of its surroundings. It was even difficult to give the robot its own sense of balance. In fact, it was only recently when a robot was developed to walk like human -- and it's not even a full-body humanoid!
Today, there are robots that are used to perform routinized and repeating tasks like in factories and assembly lines. There are robots used to aid in various research facilities working on sensitive materials and doing delicate procedures. There are also robots successfully used in military operations and in interplanetary missions. Commercially, there are robots available to clean the floor and, perhaps worth mentioning, some experimental models to prepare or serve your breakfast in the morning.
For the most part, robots are toys
and kids from any generation love them. They are fiction though not far from truth. They're just slow coming. Robotics is still beset with technological and financial challenges to progress as fast as we hope they would. And robots, well... they just have to wait another 500 years before they can be as common as Hollywood already described them.
even came up with his design in the 1400s. It took around 500 years later for the term "robot" to be invented by Karel Kapek, a play author. It was then followed shortly by the term "robotics" coined by Isaac Asimov, a science fiction author, to refer to the science and study of robots.I believe that something is important if it has a name. If you think about it, 500 years to give it a name demonstrates how slow the development of robots had been. To date, more than 50 years later, we are nowhere close to The Bicentennial Man
.Perhaps one of the most respected thoughts ever laid out on robotics (with artificial intelligence or AI) is Isaac Asimov's introduction of the Three Laws Of Robotics,
which states:- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
with an ethical and responsible direction.Historically, the development of robots had been met with numerous challenges and limitations. Early robot designs were really focused on the mechanical aspects. The introduction of computers in the mid-1900s fueled a tremendous amount of interest in programming and developing AIs. Over time, however, the real challenge went back to the mechanics of the machine. There were problems on how to simulate the joint. It was almost impossible to give the robot awareness of its surroundings. It was even difficult to give the robot its own sense of balance. In fact, it was only recently when a robot was developed to walk like human -- and it's not even a full-body humanoid!
Today, there are robots that are used to perform routinized and repeating tasks like in factories and assembly lines. There are robots used to aid in various research facilities working on sensitive materials and doing delicate procedures. There are also robots successfully used in military operations and in interplanetary missions. Commercially, there are robots available to clean the floor and, perhaps worth mentioning, some experimental models to prepare or serve your breakfast in the morning.
For the most part, robots are toys
and kids from any generation love them. They are fiction though not far from truth. They're just slow coming. Robotics is still beset with technological and financial challenges to progress as fast as we hope they would. And robots, well... they just have to wait another 500 years before they can be as common as Hollywood already described them.
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