It has been said that we are on the edge of a ‘robotic tipping point’ … but where, exactly, is this edge? And what’s holding us back? This month we asked our panelists to weigh in on what’s keeping robots from going mainstream. Here’s what they have to say …
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Do robots kill jobs?
To coincide with Robohub’s Jobs Focus, we asked our panelists to weigh in on the role that robots play in the wider economy, and whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for employment numbers. Here’s what they have to say:
These days it is hard to read an article about the future of robots that does not include a reference to jobs. As a pure roboticist, I object to the constant connection between the two, but as a concerned citizen I think it is a worthwhile discussion …
Raffaello D’Andrea on “Do robots kill jobs?”
There is no doubt that robots, and automation in general, replace humans in the work-force: all productivity-enhancing tools, by definition, result in a decrease in the number of man-hours required to perform a given task …
Mark Tilden on “Do robots kill jobs?”
Robots do kill jobs but they’re crappy jobs, so good riddance. If you’ve ever had a job you were desperate for the money, but immediately regretted after you got it, then you know what I mean. …
We hope you will join the discussion. Feel free to post your comment below.
How will robots shape the future of warfare?
Updated March 17, 2013 | This month we’ve asked our experts to weigh in on the future of robotics in warfare, and the broadness of this topic has prompted some of our panelists to push back and request that the question be rephrased in narrower terms. Certainly there are many sides to this question, and we plan to tease them out in future RBIs. However, we think it’s important to begin with broad strokes, and so we leave it to our panelists to weigh in, each from their own perspective.
Raffaello D’Andrea on “How will robots shape the future of warfare?”
How will robots shape the future of war? I don’t know. I think that the more important question, however, is: what role should robots have in warfare? In my answer I have tried (as much as is humanly possible) to put myself in the role of an alien dispassionately analyzing the situation …
Daniel H. Wilson on “How will robots shape the future of warfare?”
Robots have already changed the face of modern warfare, particularly through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly called “drones.” Currently, armed drone aircraft are in widespread use transnationally and have proven highly effective.
Mark Tilden on “How will robots shape the future of warfare?”
Robot machines have been shaping the future of war since the first siege engines appeared in ancient times (I like to think the Trojan Horse was motorized). Now with technology extending our military reach and impact …
We hope you will join the discussion. Feel free to post your comment below.
What funding scheme is the most conducive to creating a robotics industry?
Welcome to Robotics by Invitation! This month we’ve asked our experts to weigh in on the best way to create tomorrow’s robotics industry. Here’s what they have to say:
Raffaello D’Andrea on “What funding scheme is the most conducive to creating a robotics industry?”
The best way to commercialize robotics research is to make better connections between academics and entrepreneurs. Academics venturing out into the business world tend to …
Henrik Christensen on “What funding scheme is the most conducive to creating a robotics industry?”
The public should in most cases not subsidize companies. Tax payers should not be venture capitalists. The new wave of Lean Startup going around the world is a great model to ensure that …
Mark Tilden on “What funding scheme is the most conducive to creating a robotics industry?”
Funding schemes aren’t viable until we can make more innovative roboticists, and over the years I’ve tried several methods of engendering the Divine Frankenstein Complex in others …
Frank Tobe on “What funding scheme is the most conducive to creating a robotics industry?”
Funding new robotic projects in America is mostly done two different ways:
(1) strategic funding from NASA, DARPA, DoD, NSF and other government organizations to do the pure science involved in solving stumbling blocks in robotics, and …
Nicola Tomatis on “What funding scheme is the most conducive to creating a robotics industry?”
I would like to start from the other side: “Why is robotics great in creating new technologies and poor in creating new businesses? …”
We hope you will join the discussion. Feel free to post your comment.
If you had a EUR 100M investment fund, into which robotics technology or field of robotics would you put your money?
Welcome to Robotics by Invitation! Each month we pose a question of general interest to the robotics community, and ask our panel of experts to answer.
So, where would the experts invest their money? Our panel members weigh in:
Frank Tobe on “If you had a EUR 100M investment fund, into which robotics technology or field of robotics would you put your money?”
As the robotics industry continues to grow, enters new industries, and provides new applications, strategic focus is necessary or the overall industry will develop haphazardly and spread out …
Mark Tilden on “If you had a EUR 100M investment fund, into which robotics technology or field of robotics would you put your money?”
Well if it was for fun, I’d invest in autonomous paving mothers (APMs). A self-driving solar-powered mobile furnace robot that eats sand and dirt and spits out interlocking solar-panel paving stones …
Henrik Christensen on “If you had a EUR 100M investment fund, into which robotics technology or field of robotics would you put your money?”
Robots for manufacturing. Generating a new family of robots that have a fluent interaction with humans. It will be easily programmable. Some would argue that Baxter provides this functionality …
Herman Bruyninckx on “If you had a EUR 100M investment fund, into which robotics technology or field of robotics would you put your money?”
A project that would (1) represent human knowledge about manufacturing in an ontology server; (2) focus on system integration software and hardware issues …
We hope you will join the discussion. Feel free to post your comment.
What are the five must-read publications for budding roboticists?
Welcome to Robotics by Invitation! Each month we pose a question of general interest to the robotics community, and ask our panel of experts to answer.
So, what’s on the essential reading list for budding roboticists? Our panel members weigh in:
Mark Tilden on “What are the five must-read publications for budding roboticists?”
Aside from the conventional introductory texts on BEAM Robotics, control systems, electronics, and multi-axis mechanics, I always recommend books to inspire thoughts on robotic history, possibilities, and directions.
Alex Zelinski on “What are the five must-read publications for budding roboticists?”
The field moves quickly. So much of the material dates quickly. Joining a professional association such as IEEE or IFR and regular reading of publications – magazines and journals – is essential.
We hope you will join the discussion. Feel free to post your comment.
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Welcome to Robotics by Invitation! Each month we pose a question of general interest to the robotics community, and ask our panel of experts to answer.
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