All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. - Arthur Schopenhauer
The Dawn of Robots
The first idea in robotics of a scientist may have ridiculed and opposed in the initial stages but it was the destiny of robotics to become a pet branch in physics by spreading out its researches to almost all categories of services which can be done by robots. Scientists named the branch of developing robots, which deals with design, manufacture, and application as ‘Robotics’ and this term was first coined by Sci-Fi author Isaac Asimov in his short story ‘Lair’.[ According to my knowledge, it was one of the stories in his robot story collection ‘ I-Robot’.]. The first purpose which was in its creator’s mind can be its industrial scope. As in west, the capitalist countries always wanted a system in which human labors are less but more work can be done. Therefore Robots were designed to be the labors in the industries first but as the time passed by, new scientist came in spectacular vision of their own robots. These robots were more than labors and almost considered as the ultimate achievement of its creators. One example is Military robots which can go into forests or in deserts, and detect explosives and can help humans to fight violence. Even though such robots of important purpose are created, human beings wanted a robot which looks similar to them as they want a god who looks and think like them. They wanted it to recognize its environment and interact with them. There begins the history of Artificial Intelligence [AI] and humanoid robots.
The Dead Man Walks on Earth
ASIMO can be called as one of the highest human achievement in the field of robotic science. It is a humanoid robot created by the Honda Company and it weighs 54 kilograms and run on two feet at 6km/h speed. Most people including me, misunderstood that it was named after the greatest sci-fi writer [author of Foundation books, Robot books, Creator of Robotics laws] Isaac Asimov but it is not the fact. It is the ‘acronym for "Advanced Step in Innovative MObility" and is developed at Honda’s Research and Development Wako Fundamental Technical Research centre in Japan.
Life Of ASIMO
ASIMO can see the movements of multiple objects and can assess the distance and direction of these objects’ movements. It means that if you program it to catch strangers which its system doesn’t identify, it will block trespassers and if you program it to catch rats, it would be running around the kitchen and store room. [This can only be done by most modern developments in Artificial intelligence branch of Robotic]. The camera mounted in its head is source of its visual information of objects. ASIMO has 34 operating ‘degrees of freedom [DOF]’ which makes it a far efficient humanoid robot.
The Challenge Of Robotics
The biggest challenge of Robotics is to develop ‘intelligent agents’ to help humans to share their work load. An intelligent agent is a system which has the ability to perceive its environment and proceeds to take actions that can fuel the chances of its success. Isaac Asimov’s Robot Novels shed light on these futuristic intelligent agents that have got enlightened themselves to start a new, independent life.ASIMO is a robot which recognizes the objects and terrain of its environment and act in way which is safe for both him and other human around it. It can understand human voices and react according to that.
Why Robots Won’t Attack Its Creators
It’s a stupid concept in popular culture through fictions that robots will attack its creator if it gets ‘AI’. It is time to abandon this age old superstition of people. Please take a look at the three laws of robotics derived by Sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov:
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
If you program such an ‘AI’ in these robots, it will never go up to that extend of harming people but the problem lies in the human beings themselves. In this world of hatred and selfishness, people may program them to destroy their enemies and the robots have no choice, then.
P.S : The subject is continued in next post with covering topics such as 'Future War' ,'Social Service','Domestic Servants' and 'Future People'.