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Humanity has long held a strange fascination towards our mechanical cousin, the robot. From ancient Greek myths of animated statues to the Transformers of television, man has viewed these creatures with a sort of ambivalent awe. To some, the robot represents a possible servant or companion, as with R2-D2 or Star Trek's "Data." Others fear the potential for harm at the hands of such metallic monstrosities as the Terminator or the Decepticons.
But what is the reality of robots? Are they humans' new best friend or worst enemy? Can they be trusted? Should they be feared? While these questions were once limited to the what-ifs of science fiction, recent technological advancements have begun to make
robots a reality.
iRobot's Roomba currently holds the title of "most successful domestic robot" to date. Having first infiltrated the American home in 2002, this disc-shaped vacuum-bot had enjoyed sales of well over one million units by the time of this writing. The Roomba vacuums, senses walls and other objects, can return itself to its recharging cradle and even emits a sad whine if it becomes lost or confused so that its owner can come to its aid. It has generally been accepted as a harmless and futuristic way to keep a clean house, and is priced as low as $149. For those who are unnerved by its somewhat robotic look, there is even a Web site, which offers Roomba "skins" to make your robo-pal look like a frog, ladybug, rabbit or even a French maid (though the French maid outfit is, admittedly, a bit unnerving in itself).
Some robots, however, are being designed with more serious matters than tidiness in mind. South Korea has announced plans to design combat robots (actually equipped with weapons) to patrol the North Korean border. These gun-bots are proposed to look something like a six-legged horse with a rifle on its back. South Korea has allegedly deployed combat robots with its troops in Iraq, but this newest project may be much larger in scale, with costs estimated around $1.9 billion. Though some robots are being developed for military use in the U.S., they are primarily intended for support roles, such as bomb/hazmat disposal or carrying heavy loads. The idea of an autonomous robot firing live, lethal ammunition at people is quite unsettling, to say the least. Because robots cannot tell enemy from ally as accurately as a human can, these proposed gun-bots will be controlled at least partially by South Korean personnel via remote devices.
A different type of security robot was unveiled by Sohgo Security Systems of Japan in 2005. The Guardrobo D1 was created to patrol and protect businesses and office buildings by photographing disturbances (such as break-ins and fires) and then sending data to human guards. The robot also follows a programmable route and appears able to put out small fires. Sohgo asserts that Japan's aging population will need robotic workers like the Guardrobo D1 in the near future, when "young and capable manpower" will be very scarce.
For the benefit of farmers around the world, there is the SlugBot. The SlugBot, under development by the University of West England's Intelligent Autonomous Systems Laboratory, is an attempt at controlling slug populations in wheat fields using a fully autonomous robot. This wheeled robot scuttles through farm fields at night and uses special optical sensors to find slugs, which are both devastating to crops and abundant. When it finds a slug, the SlugBot uses its long grasping arm to scoop the slug up and into a tank on its back. The slugs are then jolted with electricity to prevent them from crawling back out. After the Slugbot has reached its quota--about 100 slugs per night--it returns to its base and unloads the slimy creatures into a fermentation tank. The SlugBot then recharges itself as the fermentation tank "digests" the slugs and converts the combustible bio-gas into electricity. Yes, that's correct: the robot is fueled entirely by the slugs it "eats."
Another (less-creepy) robot entering production soon is the Korean-designed English-tutor robot. Able to read stories and speak a slew of English words, the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication hopes this machine will help students to learn English and lessen the cost of private education. The tutor bots are slated to cost around $960 and will eventually be able to aid in learning other subjects, such as math. The robot will also have an Internet feature which will allow it to access additional lessons from the Ministry's Web site.
Finally, Asahi Breweries of Japan seems to have created a robot which can refrigerate and store beer cans in its chest, open the cans, pour the beer and, presumably, tell you to buy more Asahi. People of Japan, rejoice! To those readers who doubt that beer-pouring is a sufficient reason to create a robot, do not overlook its most important feature: companionship. Once-lonely alcoholics will never again have to drink alone. More than a few college students out there would readily pawn their car for such an incredible thing.
Thus ends this brief overview of the current state of robotics. There are robots that clean, fire bullets, eat insects, teach, and even encourage alcohol consumption. But, in the end, will they be our allies or a threat to our way of life? While most robots have proven harmless, there are still others with lethal capabilities. Will the SlugBot eventually develop a taste for human flesh? Might a Roomba mistake the family chihuahua for a large dust bunny? Though many experts believe these concerns are unfounded, only the reader can truly decide whether robots are friend or foe.
Robot Video Links:
the Asahi "Beerbot"
a Climbing, Insect-like Robot
a Real-life Transformer
an Eerily Fast Two-legged Robot
Kevin, for one, welcomes our new robot overlords.
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