Archive for 'Technology' Category
Does the Future Society Belong to Robots?
21 May 2007 <The image that most of us have on robots comes, in the first place, from movies such as ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Star Trek’, but also from the images of the boring assembling lines of the Japanese automobiles. The contrast between these two points of view, between these two images has produced a certain disappointment among the people as concerning robotics. This view is completely justified, right? After all these years of technological progress, we still don’t have any robots to which we can talk to and which could help us with the house work. This way, we totally exclude from the equation the robots that can fight in the wars or robots that can fly spaceships or do other things that the robots do in the science-fiction movies.
But reality contradicts both images. It is true that we do not have robots to which we could talk, but we have nonetheless robots that have successfully participated to extremely complicated surgical interventions. It is also true that we don’t have robots as soldiers, but the American army is one of the greatest investors in robotics. There have been created robots that can efficiently contribute to human life savings. Take for instance the example of the famous robot that was sent to inspect Chernobyl.
It would be a bit naïve of us to expect robotics to start from zero and reach in a relatively short time (about five decades since the first functional prototypes) to performances comparable to the human ones. Although still far from the dreams of the pioneers in the field, robotics brings us each day a bit closer to these dreams, and this progress is accelerating every day. At least many specialists in robotics have ambitious and optimist plans.
The High-tech Roommate: Social Robotics
4 March 2007 <Nowadays society is highly dependent on technology and computing utilities such as PCs, iPods or machines. But what will happen in 50 years’ time? One thing is for sure: robotics will catch up more than ever and people will learn to live and work together with robots that will become social. In fact, this trend has already started in countries such as Japan and China, where technology is basically at home.
Social robotics mainly refers to that part of robotics in which the computer-based products can give a helping hand to people. We already know of such names as Aibo(which means “partner” in Japanese, the robot dog, or the cute PaPeRo, a social robot who can both socialize, talk, tell jokes and do the housework for you. As time goes by, more and more robotics producers aim at coming up with robots that are full-optioned, meaning they can do many activities (cleaning, computing, socializing) and that also have an appealing format and look.
Social robotics is already a branch where innovation is a rule: the more advanced the robot is, the higher the customers’ requirements are. So it only seems reasonable that the competition market is growing harsher and harsher. Just think about it: if you are buying a robot to do the housework, answer your phone and repair your home utilities, you will definitely buy one who looks nice and not a square-shaped metal mass to walk around scaring the children.
The tin men, also known as social robotics products, have come to stay and this is very likely to be seen during the next decade. The specialized machines concern mostly the domestic market, but other domains are already embracing the idea of replacing several work position with one productive social robot, turning the entire social robotics business into one of the most productive affairs ever.
Technology Reloaded - Gadgets Come Back
4 March 2007 <Nowadays society is all about having the latest, utmost high-tech available on the market. Be it a good-at-everything gadget, a high-performance computer or a multi-functional cell phone, technology has definitely invaded our lives more than ever. Surely enough, technology does not stop at conquering a few domains. On the contrary, the beauty of all it stands in the fact that tech ranges from gadgets to army utilities. It’s really your own choice.
Technology specialists nowadays have come up with brilliant ideas that can literally shake your world. And the most successful innovation at the time being is without doubt the technology gadget industry. Take for instance the new digital compass watches available worldwide. They’re trendy, smart and, most importantly, they can tell you almost everything you need to know if you’re an outdoor enthusiast: North indications, barometer, lap recording, you name it. Technology gadgets have come to make a statement and this doesn’t stop here.
If fifty years ago, having a computer meant occupying half your room, nowadays technology gadgets make the products both useful( in fact multi-functional) and appealing. All those ladies who wouldn’t go out without matching their shoes to their pursues can now be relived. Technology gadgets producers invest most of their time and budget in making the product look good and in order to create gadgets that are easily transported. A good example is a signal-making device that allows drivers to control when the traffic lights jump to green on their side. Easy to use, fancy, legal and , most importantly, a technology product.
Technology has come a very long way and brought us various helping hands with the little gadgets. Who knows what the future will bring? But what is certain is that the technology department will not cease its activity and will continue to come up with these wonderful solutions that make our lives more pleasant.