Not too long ago, I got here throughout a CBS Information report documenting a brand new use for animatronic robots, now deployed in Japan.
Scare the bears away from people.
What me most: The robotic shouldn’t be humanoid. It’s a robotic model of a wolf, which makes good sense: In nature, a bear is extra afraid of a wolf than a human.
If you’re of an age, like me, you could have had the great expertise of attending the 1964 World’s Truthful in New York Metropolis. I keep in mind trudging by lots of the pavilions and finally discovering my means into the Illinois State Pavilion. To my amazement I watched Walt Disney’s Abraham Lincoln audio animatronic present. Having grown up watching Saturday morning child’s reveals with hand and string-controlled puppet assistants to the human hosts, the truth that Mr. Lincoln acted autonomously, with out strings, made a deep affect on my understanding of what a robotic may develop into. At that second, my lifelong curiosity in robotics was kindled.
Fashionable robotic animatronics could be traced again to 1924 and the actions of Westinghouse Electrical Co. It’s corps of engineers in its “skunk works” created more and more subtle humanoid robots, like Elektro. One of many fascinating features of those early robots was the emphasis on making them “human-like.”
The historical past of movie remedies of robots began on the identical time, and provided differing views: Pal or foe?
From 1930, right here’s a “pleasant” perspective, though I’m not certain the human host is enthusiastic concerning the robotic “help” in human endeavors. (Skip the 2 annoying upfront advertisements!)
After all, the legendary detrimental view is embodied in Fritz Lang’s 1927 traditional movie, Metropolis.
Right here we’re in 2026. From a close to future perspective, what sorts of jobs now achieved by people shall be transitioned to robots by 2030? By one estimate, 92 million people shall be displaced. Right here’s a perspective on the classes in danger, and people that aren’t.
We began this piece on a constructive be aware, applauding a robotic strategy to defending people. Extra of this could be welcome, particularly in roles the place people face excessive dangers to life and limb.
The alternative of people in routine jobs, nevertheless, must be watched intently. Displacing a human janitor with a robotic might have benefits for the employer, however what occurs to the displaced human?
In regards to the Writer
Tim Lindner develops multimodal expertise options (voice / augmented actuality / RF scanning) that target assembly or exceeding logistics and provide chain clients’ productiveness enchancment aims. He could be reached at linkedin.com/in/timlindner.