5 Defining qualities of robots

The term “robot” is not easily defined, but its etymology is reasonably simple to track. It is not a very old word, having been implemented into English reasonably recently. It dates back to the early twentieth century when Polish playwrights. Karel Capek presented a unique and somewhat prophetic glimpse into the future. His groundbreaking play, “Rossum’s Universal Robots.” Capek chose the word “robot” based on its Old Church Slavonic origin, “rabota” – which basically translates to “slavery.”

1. Intelligence

Human intelligence is derived from the elaborate and interconnected network of neurons within the human brain. These neurons form electrical connections with one another. But it remains unclear how exactly they collectively cultivate brain activity like thoughts and reasoning. Nevertheless, innovations in the realms of computation and data mining enable the development of artificially intelligent systems that reflect human intellectual capability. A robot known as Kismet (developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) decentralizes its computing by separating it into different processing tiers. Higher levels of computing deal with complicated and technically advanced processes. While the lower resources are allocated to tedious and repetitive activities. Kismet works very similarly to the human nervous system, which consists of voluntary and involuntary functions.

2. Sense perception

The technology that empowers robot senses has fostered our ability to communicate electronically for many years. Electronic communication mechanisms, such as microphones and cameras, help transmit sensory data to computers within simulated nervous systems. Sense is useful, if not fundamental to robots’ interaction with live, natural environments. The human sensory system is broken down into vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste – all of which have been or are being implemented into robotic technology somehow. Vision and hearing are simulated by transmitting media to databases that compare the information to existing definitions and specifications.

3. Dexterity

Dexterity refers to the functionality of limbs, appendages and extremities, as well as the general range of motor skills and physical capability of a body. In robotics, dexterity is maximized where there is a balance between sophisticated hardware and high-level programming that incorporates environmental sensing capability. Many different organizations are achieving significant milestones in robotic dexterity and physical interactivity.

4. Power

Robots require an energy source, and there are many factors that go into deciding which form of power provides the most freedom and capability for a robotic body. There are many different ways to generate, transmit and store power. Generators, batteries and fuel cells give power that is locally stored but also temporary, while tethering to a power source naturally limits the device’s freedom and range of functions. One very notable exception would be the simple machine-based bipedal walking system that relies only on gravity to propel its walk cycle (developed at Japan’s Nagoya Institute of Technology). While this may not qualify as a stand-alone (no pun intended) robot, it could lead to innovations in how robot power could potentially be optimized, or possibly even generated.

5. Independence

Intelligence, sense, dexterity and power all converge to enable independence, which in turn could theoretically lead to a nearly personified individualization of robotic bodies. From its origin within a work of speculative fiction, the word “robot” has almost universally referred to artificially intelligent machinery with a certain degree of humanity to its design and concept (however distant).

Modern robots have already overcome many of the hardest challenges they faced up until just a few years ago. The robot race is running at an amazingly fast pace, and we can only wonder what machines could achieve in the upcoming future.

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𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬.