Robots able to 'perform every job humans can' within 30 years...
Robots for Humans: Addressing the Engineering Challenges
David Cotriss 07 April 2015
It has been estimated that by 2045 robots will be able to
perform every job that humans can. But does this mean humans should worry about
being replaced by machines? Many experts believe the future actually lies in a
more advanced and seamless collaboration between humans and robots.
Where most robots, particularly industrial and
manufacturing settings, have historically been too dangerous for humans to work
closely with, advances in technology have made it possible to develop robots
that are safer, more cost-effective and flexible enough to work side by side
with people.
These collaborative robots are already being used in a
variety of industries with rapid growth. IHS Technology reports that the
industrial machinery market—including robots used in manufacturing—doubled in
2014, and is anticipated to reach $2 trillion worldwide by 2018. In addition,
the International Federation of Robotics estimates that 225,000 industrial
robots were sold worldwide in 2014, up 27% from 2013, led by the automotive and
electronics industries.
Data source : IHS Technology, April 2014.
Automation is part of the latest industrial
revolution—dubbed the era of smart manufacturing or “Industry 4.0"—and
human-robot collaboration is a key factor in its rise. As the technologies
behind collaborative robots and artificial intelligence (AI) become more
sophisticated and affordable, smaller companies find that they too can invest
in automation through robotics.
User-friendly Robots
The growing use of collaborative robots is fueled by
easier operator use. Innovations in design and controls mean that operating
these robots does not require extensive technical knowledge. In fact, some of
the latest robot designs are intuitive and adaptable, with features that
enhance the robot's ability to "think" and heighten human safety,
allowing them to work seamlessly with their human counterparts.
Jay Tang, IHS senior analyst for Industrial Automation,
says some collaborative robots can be trained in minutes without in-depth
programming knowledge.
For example, Universal Robots' collaborative robotic arms
have simple programming, Tang says. "You just have to move the arm and
record points for the trajectory. Then you use the touch-screen tablet
(12") to set different options." He says the software has a graphical
interface that makes it easy to use.
Another user-friendly robot is Rethink Robotics' Baxter.
One of the most affordable collaborative robots on the market with a base price
of $25,000, Baxter is equipped with sensors and actuators that allow it to
react and compensate to subtle changes in the environment. The robot itself is
the interface, and features a simple graphical user interface (GUI) that allows
users to train rather than program, and to modify the automation tasks
performed by the robot.
Clearpath Robotics' PR2 is an application for designing
collaborative robots for a variety of uses. The PR2 platform includes both
hardware and software, with more than 1,000 software libraries that enable
users to customize the robot's functionality and experiment with applications
directly on the robot.
The MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
Laboratory has used a PR2 robot called Robotina—Rosie, for short—since 2011 as
part of an ongoing project supported by the U.S. National Robotics Initiative
to develop robots that can work more effectively alongside humans. One of the
most valuable qualities of PR2 robots may be their mobility and dexterity, with
pincer-like hands that can perform complex or delicate tasks such as folding
towels or picking up an aluminum can without crushing it. Robotina is being
trained to work in concert with humans, learning to anticipate and react to
human movement in addition to using multiple sensors to prevent collisions and
accidents.
Global automation company Festo has also developed a
number of collaborative robots. Festo's Robotino mobile learning robot is
currently used by several universities and vocational schools. The latest
version, the Robotino XT, includes a compact version of the company's bionic
handling assistant, a flexible robotic arm developed for use in industrial
settings. Another of Festo's designs—the LearningGripper—resembles an abstract
human hand with four “fingers" that can be trained to perform tasks such
as gripping and rotating an object.
Collaboration Challenges
While collaborative robots hold great potential for
breakthroughs and innovations in nearly every industry, there are issues which
must be addressed. Safety is a primary concern when working with robots—not
necessarily due to the fear of AI running amok, but because robots are machines
and they can malfunction, potentially resulting in injury or death to nearby
humans. Nevertheless, AI has the potential to reach the point where
collaboration between humans and robots is truly seamless and safe.
Elena Messina, group leader of the Manipulation &
Mobility Systems Group of the Intelligent Systems Division at the U.S. National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), outlines the requirements for
machine intelligence that will make collaborative efforts possible.
“AI encompasses natural language understanding, as well
as many other basic competencies that will make interactions between robots and
humans more fluid," Messina says Robots should be able to understand human
gestures as well as spoken commands. AI should also provide richer semantic
understanding of their surroundings, including being able to generalize and
reason.
For robotics developers, safety features come first.
Collaborative robots typically include a multitude of sensors to prevent
collisions as well as additional safety precautions. Baxter, for example,
features a smooth polymer “pinch-proof" exterior, along with back-drivable
motors and force-detecting sensors.
Trust is also an issue for collaborative work. Some may struggle
with so-called “smart" robots due to a lack of understanding of the
processes they operate through.
An MIT project seeks to address this concern with a
virtual reality study that visually displays the “thoughts" of a robot
using a combination of light projectors, motion-capture technology and
animation software. Allowing people to “read the minds" of the robots they
work with may facilitate a greater understanding of process, and put humans at
ease around robot counterparts.
Robotics Applications Beyond Manufacturing
Collaborative robots also hold potential for human
health, not only in transforming the efficiency and accuracy of healthcare, but
also in providing solutions to some of the most critical health issues. Jeff
Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation, cites robotic
exoskeletons as an example of collaborative robots. Robotic exoskeletons are
wearable bionic suits that “enable individuals with any amount of lower
extremity weakness to stand up and walk over ground with a natural, full weight
bearing, reciprocal walk,” Burnstein says. “This technology provides a means
for people with as much as complete paralysis, and minimal forearm strength, to
stand and walk."
Additionally, Gill Pratt, program manager for the Defense
Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), says that the emerging fleets of
self-driving vehicles make use of human-machine collaboration. “These cars
aren't yet capable of safely operating at all speeds and in all conditions, so
there's a role for both car and driver as co-pilots," he says. Humans have
to work together with the onboard computer that is actively driving in the
situation, particularly in controlling the speed demand. However, Pratt says
that in the future “there will cease to be a collaboration with humans" as
the human driver becomes more of a passenger as self-driving technology
improves.
"The notion that humans can now work safely, side by
side with a robot employee is both intriguing and groundbreaking,"
Burnstein says. "Collaborative robots have an innate ability to both
fascinate and empower humans."
Indeed, whether for work or other uses such as
healthcare, engineers and researchers are at the forefront of making this
future possible.
To contact the author of this article, email engineering360editors@ihs.com
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