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Robots are among the most well-known applications of computers, made so by the many words written about them by sf authors. The word robot is derived from the Czech word robota, meaning ‘work’, and a robot is in essence a machine which carries out work under the guidance of a computer.
Before robots were developed industrially, stories full of the menace of robots were the vogue in sf magazines. In fact a rampaging robot is virtually impossible, under the guidance of a program written to prevent such occurrences. Indeed, the robots that are used today are mainly specialist machines designed to do one task (such as spot welding) efficiently; they are unable to perform other tasks, and are immobile or unable to sense their surroundings. The main menace of the robot perceived today is that of jobs being taken over the menace of all technological progress since the very earliest days of civilization. This menace has led to contrasting views by those who favour the introduction of robots (thinking that this will lead eventually to humans being able to live lives of luxury and ease, their every need catered for by efficient robots) and those who are against it (seeing a society of immense poverty and unemployment, full of people unable to reap the benefits of the introduction of robots, which will be reserved for the very rich).
Much research is being undertaken today to increase the versatility of robots. This work includes the development of perception, which is still largely unsuccessful in realizing its more long-term aims (perhaps due to their ambitiousness), and is really yet to produce a robot that can cope with a non-laboratory environment containing those unpredictable objects, human beings. SMcL
See also artificial intelligence.Further reading F.H. George and , J.D. Humphries, The Robots are Coming. |
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