Latest Robots Are Great – But Leave Future Uncertain
Do you remember those days we laughed at clunky old robots trying to look and act like humans as they lurched and wobbled along?
Those days are clearly long gone.
If you saw last week’s video released by robotic designers Boston Dynamics, you will know just how much progress has been made.
Watching a mechanical cyborg leap effortlessly and at speed up high steps, with neither a falter nor a totter, has got to impress.
If you have not seen it, then just pop ‘Boston Dynamics Robot’ into a Google search to find a number of copies on sites that claim the robot is ‘doing parkour.’
Mind you, that is certainly an exaggeration as the French acrobatic pursuit involves using the arms for swinging and vaulting as well.
On making that search you will also be offered videos of Boston Dynamics’ other major development, Spot the robot dog, whose adventures earlier this week included walking a construction site on security duty for the first time.
Hard hat sites carry a constant safety risk, particularly at night.
How much better in future, then, to send out a robot with on-board camera surveillance to scout around in the dark and cold and check all is well. The big question, unanswerable at this stage, is what effect robotic developments will have on employment.
The industrial Revolution of the late 18th century and the Digital Revolution that saw the emergence of computing in the sixties were both feared in their time but, in both cases, the nature of work changed and new jobs were created.
We cannot predict yet what the post-robotic world will be like.
