The Future of Robots

[elizabethtm]

I've recently gotten interested in robots, and it's made me start thinking about what life is going to be like in 2020 or 2040. Are robots going to be doing menial tasks for us? Are they going to wind up doing much more than just a single task, and actually change our lives? I'm curious. Anyone have a respective opinion or belief?

[lemiant]

I think the future of robots hinges on a single advance in AI, machine learning. Unless they crack that then you won't see robot's helping much around the house due to their lack of perception. As soon as someone defeats machine learning then robots will explode.

[Colin P]

Seamless prosthetics. Prosthetics so realistic, neither observers or the wearer can tell a significant diference.

[Techhexium]

Robots today can perform tasks that would be tedious to humans, for example in a hospital robots (dispensing machines) prepares medication, freeing up the hospital staff so they do other things. In the home environment I think it will take further advancements in AI for robots to imitate humans doing household chores.

Originally Posted by Colin P

Seamless prosthetics. Prosthetics so realistic, neither observers or the wearer can tell a significant diference.

I think that's more like human mechanical augmentation. Have you heard of a video game called Deus Ex: Human Revolution?

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by lemiant

I think the future of robots hinges on a single advance in AI, machine learning. Unless they crack that then you won't see robot's helping much around the house due to their lack of perception.

It's getting there. See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...rammed-do.html (or search Google for SOINN robot).

As soon as someone defeats machine learning then robots will explode.

Exploding robots? I don't think that's quite the image you meant to convey.

[zachmartin1806]

It's very possible that by 2020 there could be robots in the household performing simple tasks but when that day comes we need to find the balance of robot/human tasks, America is already one of the fattest countries in the world we don't want to do anything that gives people a reason to be even lazier.