We as humans have reached that stage, where humans and robots/autonomous things can co-exist in the same physical environment together and where major business models and organizations have shown their preference in working alongside AI and transform the products and services they provide. This has seen a paradigm shift in the capabilities that autonomous robots bring to the forefront of their organizations.
One of the major adaptations of autonomous things has been in the development of domestic robots in residential, commercial and industrial uses. These robots are significantly different than the ones in use at various manufacturing facilities as well as in military applications. These robots are majorly utilized as a companion and assistance robots that are able to handle the domestic chores. They are designed to assist the humans in their operations so that the humans can be more effective and efficient in their work. Most of the domestic robots available are companion bots that can perform basic human functions such as keep the people around them company, partake in conversations with them, clean their surroundings and provide security to the household & their inhabitants. Nowadays, even cleaning bots are available that analyze their environment and are constantly focused on keeping their surroundings neat and tidy, some of them have the capability of mowing the lawns or even collecting the rubbish from the swimming pool.
Conclusion
This co-existing relationship of humans and robots is the missing link between achieving complete automation and providing that much needed base to further the development and knowledge of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The significant growth of AI is expected to cause significant disruptions and changes in the lifestyles of individuals and organizations itself.
Although, this rise is surely expected to create new employment opportunities for individuals globally, and whether we accept it or not autonomous things/technology/devices/robots have already arrived in our lives; whether that be in the form of ATM machines, or in the form of industrial manufacturing, or on battlefields with/without soldiers, or whether the automated vehicles. The sooner we accept their impacts in lives of individuals the better it is for our future. The affordable and a lower level of autonomous bots are available in the market as “Amazon’s Echo”, “Google Home” and Apple, Inc.’s “HomePod” among other variants.
In April 2018, Amazon.com, Inc. announced that they are planning on launching domestic robots which have been coded as “Vesta” which will focus on the accessibility of areas where the users cannot access Amazon’s Echo. The prototypes developed by Amazon’s infamous “Lab126” have been equipped with cameras, computer vision software resulting in autonomous capabilities to the robot.
Impact
Although, the market is currently in the process of developing collaborative robots that will work in combination with other autonomous things instead of just providing consumers with one single standalone robots which will perform the tasks assigned to it, collaborative robots will be able to communicate amongst themselves to provide the best way forward in any process. For example – the autonomous robots assigned to an assembly line can detect if there is any malfunctioning with the assembly line and can communicate with the repair bots and dispatch these bots to resume the operations/functioning of the assembly line at the earliest.
