Robotic technology is a newer technology if it’s compared with computer or handphone technology. Many big companies or universities are interested to develop robotic technology. Even now robotic technology raises many students’ interest in High School.
Robotic technology is interested in because that technology offers ease. In addition, Hollywood films like Matrix and Terminator are also give contribution to raise people’s interest to learn robotic. Robot is considered as unique thing; beside it offers ease people can expand their creativity with create a new robot model.
Actually, what is robot? How can we say a thing ‘robot’? Robot is a tool to substitute human’s tasks, where it can work automatically. To work automatically robot needs a program to be embedded in its ‘brain’, that’s usually use Artificial Intelligence (AI).
There are some unique robot characteristics that people don’t have. First, because robot uses program as its controller, robot can do complex calculation that’s impossible to be done by people. Second, robot can do without emotion, so it’s surely that robot’s work is accurate and stabile.
In other hand robot doesn’t have creativity like human. So robot’s role to substitute human’s tasks must be set according to its unique characteristic: accurate, stabile, and don’t need creativity. First, robot can do tedious daily human’s tasks. At the moment, many of big companies use robots to do some tasks that aren’t appropriate to be done by human because it’s quite tedious, like mechanical arm robot/gripper to separate and pack goods. In car companies there are robots that are used to weld car’s body.
Second, because of robot’s unique characteristic that can work without affected by environment, robot can do many things that are impossible to be done by human. For instance, to explore Mars, of course many experts don’t dare to land people directly in Mars. Hence experts must research Mars’ condition whether it can be landed by human or not. The only one way is to send robot to Mars. Phoenix, robot that’s sent to Mars by NASA, even can do a mission that’s held by NASA, to search whether there’s a life sign or not.
Japan has developed snake robot that has very flexible body. That robot can detect disaster or fire victims that are buried in ruins. A task that’s very difficult to be done by human. In other way, robot can detect gas leak or toxic level.
Further, because of continuous innovation that is being done, robot’s functions aren’t just to substitute tedious or hazardous human’s tasks. In medical field there’s a robot that’s specialized to substitute doctor’s task to do surgeon. Doctor just controls the robot from other room. The usage of surgeon robot has some advantages. First, minimize the incision in patient’s body. Second, avoid the carelessness that can make malpractice that maybe done because of human mistake. It’s because robot can work very accurately according to program that’s embedded.
Innovation also allows robot become a tool that’s very helpful in human’s life. Robot can accompany old and handicapped people. For example, Care-O-Bot can detect its foreman’s condition. If its foreman becomes suddenly unconscious, Care-O-Bot will try to call his/her many times. If there’s no respond, Care-O-Bot will automatically call ambulance for help. There’s also a cute Japanese robot, Wakamaru, a humanoid robot that’s specialized to communicate with people. Wakamaru can greet and guide people, provide the newest information like weather and forecast, and highlight events.
Now some kinds of robot are also created to help our daily activities. Toyota Motor Corp and Tokyo University are collaborating to create robot that can clean our room, make our dining table neat, and the other maid’s tasks.
Military also often uses robotic technology. Robot is very helpful to help soldiers. Before US soldiers attack target, they send UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) as spy to give information about target area’s condition. USA also has Robodog, a robot that’s very helpful to carry soldier’s logistics and seek enemies. Robodog even can walk in heavy terrain like mountain.
Beside its function to help people, robot also becomes an object to show human’s creativity. Showing creativity by create sophisticated robot is a pride for the maker. Hence many big companies use their own robot as mascot. For example, a humanoid robot ASIMO that is claimed as the smartest robot in the world is a Honda’s mascot. ASIMO’s ability is very amazing; she can play violin, go upstairs and downstairs, and give respond when she sees her shadow in the mirror. There’s also a dog-shaped robot Aibo, a robot that’s become Sony’s mascot. There are so many interesting robotic innovations: female robot with fourteen expressions (Fashion-bot HRP-4C), child robot (i-Cub), chef robot (Okonomiyaki Robot/ Motoman SDA-10), and teacher robot (Saya).
The development of robotic technology is undoubtly very fast. It is even same as computer technology’s development 30 years ago. Bill Gates predicts that in 2025, robot will be known as general things as our computer or handphone right now.
But right now, to make robot as general thing, it still meets some problems. First, the quite high price of robot. It’s appropriate because robotic technology is considered a new technology. A new technology needs thought, effort, and fund that are not few. But little by little the price of robot will be decreased while the demand increases. The handphone’s price proves that. In 1990, just rich and important people that have handphone but now handphone is considered as very common things. Now almost every people have handphone.
Second, there are still few robotic makers. Robotic knowledge is still considered as complex and difficult object especially in the developed countries. But while the demand of robot increases, people will be encouraged to learn robotic technology.
As a conclusion, robot is a new technology but it’s very interesting. Beside it offers ease, people make robot to show their creativity. Robot is still a new thing but people need it because the unique robot characteristic like stabile, accurate, and isn’t affected by mood and work environment make robot is used to substitute improperly human’s tasks, for example hazardous or tedious tasks.
Human’s will to make robot more perfect from time to time make robot’s function isn’t just to substitute human’s tasks but robot also can help people like help handicapped people, do maid’s tasks and so many.
At the moment, the research to make robot more perfect is still continued. It makes robotic technology as the most prospective technology in the future.
