Origin of the Term: The word “robot” was introduced to the public by Czech (捷克共和国) writer Karel Čapek (卡雷尔·恰佩克) in his science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) in 1920. In Czech language, “robota” means “labour” or “work”.
Original purpose of robots: automatic/autonomous labour that frees humans from tedious jobs
People fear
Dangerous: exploration, chemical spill cleanup, disarming bombs, disaster cleanup.
People tired
Boring or repetitive: cleaning, welding car frames, part pick and chores.
People unable
High precision or high speed: Electronics testing, Surgery, precision machining.
To “see” the world
Sensory components: Acquisition of information.
To “response” or taking action
Actuator and effector: Realization of actions and behaviour.
To “understand” the environment
Information processing and control: Processing of sensory signals, memory, planning and evaluation.
To be “well-prepared” for future
Accessory components: battery, interface, communication modules etc.
For general public, we have
Trust and safety: The extent to which a robot is deemed safe and trustworthy is important to the user’s intention to use the technology.
For the owner of robot, we have
Responsibility: A robot’s responsibility for its actions is important for the user’s intention to use the technology.
For ourself, we have
Privacy and data protection: How to protect humans from the misuse of robotics?
For society, we have
Human worker replacement: If a robot takes a worker’s job, the firm should retrain its employee for a new occupation.
Level of driving automation: What is an Autonomous Car?
7 challenges in robotics: Are you aware of these 7 challenges in robotics?
More players join the game:
Origin: Dr. Chris Lu (Homepage) Translate + Edit: YangSier (Homepage)