Future Robotics Technology

The future of robotics has certainly been addressed several times over. From books to movies, virtually everyone has at least some idea of how they believe the future of robotics technology will play out. Joseph F. Engelberger has been widely referred to as the “father of robotics”.

He has given many lectures on service robots and what they must have to succeed, such as a magnificent physical execution, sensory perception, prior knowledge of their environment plus expert skills and knowledge and a good cost to benefit ratio.

It is normally assumed that even with future robotics technology most people will be able to perform their own tasks much more efficiently than any robotic alternative. It is also believed that service robots would cost more than human labor which would make them less cost efficient in the long run.

The opportunity will be more acceptable if there are not enough skilled humans to do specific tasks at reasonable prices, such as elder care which is currently lacking sorely in skilled laborers. There has been much research done and though put into developing robotics to aid in elder care where there are not enough people to perform specific tasks.

It has been reported that approximately 90 percent of companies who have robotic manufacturing abilities have not installed those applications. There are however, more than 115,000 robotics being used in the United States alone today which makes the U.S. second only to Japan.

The future of robotics technology looks bright. It has been pondered however just how robotics technology will affect future generations. Robotics devices that can lead the blind, aid the elderly and even clean house when needed are all being considered although the timeline for these developments is far from being seen right now. Looking into the past you can see that changes come greatly with innovation.

The cotton gin, airplane and internet are all examples of how creative developments have made life much easier so it is very safe to assume that with research and new developments in the area of robotics technology, there may just be true robotics that will aid in disease curing and other important industries.

It is assumed that robotics will play a large roll in law enforcement and security fields. As of today, robots are already being used for dangerous and hazardous tasks such as bomb disposal, hostage recovery and search and rescue operations.

They were used, in fact, during the rescue operations at New York City’s World Trade Center in 2001.

The effects of robotics technology in the future may well play a vital role in manufacturing computers, vehicles and better consumer and health products overall.

Donald A. Vincent who is a 25 year veteran of the robotics industry summed up future revelations by saying that since robotics prospered considerably in the 1900s it is expected to thrive and proliferate the in 21st century.

Since there has already been a robot, Sojourner, sent to operate on another planet, it makes the mind wonder if space construction, assembly and communications, even agricultural industry will be possible in the future with robotics in space.

Other areas that are expected in the future to see the significance of robotics technology include transportation, environmental protection, air and water quality, recycling, chemical industries and hazardous waste disposal among several others.