Robotics is an interdisciplinary discipline that combines engineering and computer science. Robotics involves the application, study, design, development, and implementation of robots to perform work in a variety of environments. The ultimate goal of robotics research is to design and build machines that will help and aid humans in their daily lives.
There are two fields of robotics that are very closely related, although they are not really the same thing. Robotics engineers work with autonomous robotic systems; AIs (artificial intelligent computers) are self-aware, smart, and able to think, decide, and choose for themselves. Robotic engineers are building such AIs; therefore, they must also be able to communicate with them and interact with them. Likewise, computer scientists are building computer AIs to do similar work. The ultimate goal of both disciplines, of course, is to build robots that will help humankind in its daily endeavors.
Although it is easy to think that only robotic machines are involved in robotics, this is not the case at all. Robotic engineers are building and designing artificial intelligence machines; these robots will not only be involved in the work force, but also in every day operations inside the home, such as laundry robots, dishwashers, and vacuum cleaners. In the future, artificial intelligence will be so involved in our everyday lives that it will be hard for us to distinguish between the real and artificial intelligence.
It is hard to say what artificial intelligence means, since it is a very vague term. Most people, however, know what it is not: super intelligent computer programs that are able to beat the best human players at chess or even poker. Artificial intelligence refers to a system that is able to process information and facts in a way that allows a computer program to make knowledgeable decisions about its own actions. In other words, you would have an artificially intelligent computer that was never taught to think or reason by its own intelligence. A good example of this is the Watson, a computer program that was trained to diagnose medical problems and treat patients in hospitals. Today, doctors use these same programs in surgery without their consent or knowledge.
The goal of today’s advanced robotics technology is to build AI robots that can navigate any terrain and take on any kind of challenge. Robotic engineers are building software robots that are capable of completing any mission they are given, no matter how complex the task may be. Today’s software robots will be able to navigate unfamiliar city streets, navigate through a war zone, and even to deliver a pizza to a customer’s house. All of this is possible thanks to advances in robotic hardware and software.
Advances in hardware and software robots include smaller size and increased strength, and greater dexterity. Robotic engineering has also created complex systems like self-cleaning, remote-controlled cameras, weatherproof vehicles, robots able to pick up, transport, and place heavy objects, and even self-assembled houses. Some of these systems have been patented, so you might want to pay careful attention if you’re considering a robotic Future. The possibilities are endless with robotics technology.
