vast majority of respondents to the 2014 Future of the Internet canvassing anticipate that robotics and artificial intelligence will permeate wide segments of daily life by 2025, with huge implications for a range of industries such as health care, transport and logistics, customer service, and home maintenance. But even as they are largely consistent in their predictions for the evolution of technology itself, they are deeply divided on how advances in AI and robotics will impact the economic and employment picture over the next decade.

Robotics Articles

  • Robots gaining on humans at faster rate - Associated Press - 03/15

  • Soft robotics 'toolkit' - Harvard - 10/14

  • Meet Linda, the robot security guard - The Telegraph - 08/13

  • Kilobots are leaving the nest - Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - 08/13

  • Robot Prison Guards - WSJ Asia - 11/11

  • Robot household helpers - MIT News - 05/11

  • How Can Robots Get Our Attention? - Georgia Tech - 03/11

  • 2010 robots review video - IT World - 12/10

  • World's First Robot Census - Technology Review - 10/10

  • Electronic skin can feel a fly's footsteps - Stanford Report - 09/10

  • Shape-shifting robots - MIT News - 08/10

  • Robots get an artificial skin - Phys.Org - 07/10

  • Sand-swimming sandfish lizard - Georgia Tech - 06/10

  • Robotics Media and Web Sites

  • Amlux - Flickr image

  • ARMAR-III - Robot that learns via touch (Phys.Org w/ Video)

  • ASIMO - Honda humanoid robot

  • Boston Dynamics - BigDog//Rhex/Petman/RiSe/Squishbot

  • Case Biorobotics Lab - Case Western Reserve University

  • Center for Intelligent Mechatronics - Rehabilitation robotics

  • Claytronics Project - Modular robots

  • COGNIRON The Cognitive Robot Companion - Project funded by the European Commission

  • DOMO - Force sensing MIT robot

  • Dustbot - Trash Pickup Robots

  • Robot factory - Flickr

  • HIRO - Human Interactive Robot

  • HRP-3 - AIST Humanoid Robot

  • Humanoid Robotics Institute - Waseda University, Japan

  • i-foot - Flickr image

  • InMoov - Open source 3D printable robot

  • I-Sobot - Tomy

  • JPL Robotics - JPL

  • Kondo - Kondo Kagaku

  • LOVOTICS - Love + Robotics

  • Microsoft Robotics - Robotic operating system

  • NAO - Humanoid robot

  • Nexi - MIT Media Lab

  • Owen Holland - Anthropomimetic robots

  • PR2 - Willow Garage

  • RoboCommunity - Robot Blog

  • RoboEarth - World Wide Web for robots

  • Robo-Erectus - Advanced Robotics & Intelligent Control Centre

  • Robo Garage - Tomotaka Takahashi

  • RoboSingularity - Robot Blog

  • Robot - Flickr image

  • Robotics Alliance Project - NASA Robotics

  • Robotics Blog - Robot blog

  • Robotics research - Directory of robotic research in Japan

  • Robotorama - Robot Blog

  • Robots - Podcast

  • Robots.net - All the news that's fit to assimilate

  • Robots Dreams - Robot news blog

  • Robot Magazine - Robot Emagazine

  • ROCR - Wall climbing robot

  • Rovio - Remote surveillance robot

  • Shalab - Shuji Hashimoto Laboratory

  • Sony Robot History - Sony robot web site

  • Stickybot - Wall climbing robot

  • Superbot - Modular robot

  • Talking robot - Takanishi Lab

  • Tell Me Dave - Making Robots Follow Human Commands

  • Toyota Robots - Toyota partner robot web site

  • TurtleBots - Personal robot kit from Willow Garage

  • WAM Arm - Robotic arm

  • Willow Garage - Open source software for personal robotics applications

  • Xpero - Embodied cognitive system

  • HPI G-Dog Robot - Youtube

  • Japanese Robot Of The Year - Youtube (2007)

  • Jules - Youtube

  • Jumping robot - New Scientist video

  • Robotic Arms - NSF

  • Robot Fish - Youtube

  • Robot Violinist - Youtube

  • Transformer Robot - Youtube

  •  

    Key themes: reasons to be hopeful

    1. Advances in technology may displace certain types of work, but historically they have been a net creator of jobs.
    2. We will adapt to these changes by inventing entirely new types of work, and by taking advantage of uniquely human capabilities.
    3. Technology will free us from day-to-day drudgery, and allow us to define our relationship with "work" in a more positive and socially beneficial way.
    4. Ultimately, we as a society control our own destiny through the choices we make.

    Key themes: reasons to be concerned

    1. Impacts from automation have thus far impacted mostly blue-collar employment; the coming wave of innovation threatens to upend white-collar work as well.
    2. Certain highly-skilled workers will succeed wildly in this new environment—but far more may be displaced into lower paying service industry jobs at best, or permanent unemployment at worst.
    3. Our educational system is not adequately preparing us for work of the future, and our political and economic institutions are poorly equipped to handle these hard choices

     

    Robotic Prosthetics

     

    Prosthetics are one of the best uses for robotics and man-machine interfaces.

    Revolutionary mechanical hand adds a sense of touch to mind-controlled prostheses

    Man controls cybernetic hand with thoughts

    Shadow Hand

    Cyborg-style 'iLimb' hand a big hit with Iraq veterans

    The future of hand prostheses

    Robot Hand

    Applause For The SmartHand

    Bionic arm, "Luke Arm" prosthesis

    Shape-shifting robot compensates for damaged limb

    Upgrading the Prosthetic Hand

     

    Walking Robots

     

    Bipedal robots at Delft Biorobotics Laboratory

    Linxmotion

    Bipedal Walking Robot Lucy

    Cyborg-walkers stride toward Japan's robotics future

    PETMAN

     

    Exoskeletons

     

    exoskeleton

    Wearable bionic suits are being developed for the military to allow soldiers to carry heavier loads and to conserve energy.

    Other uses for exoskeletons are assisting rescue workers move heavy objects and bionics for motor-impaired patients.

    Exoskeletons

     

    Robot Caregivers

     

    Mobile robot assistants designed to people in daily life activities.

    Care-O-bot®

    Home Robots Have Gentle Touch

    Rescue robots compete to save dolls in distress

    Domestic bot plans its way to the kettle

    Rise Of The Personal Robot

     

    The brain behind the beauty will be the key to turning a realistic looking machine into a life like robot. AI plays a pivotal role in successful human/robot interaction.

    Links

    HRP-4C Singing robot (video)

    HRP-4C, AIST, close-up (video)

    Life-like walking female robot (video)

    Ultra-Lifelike Robot Debuts in Japan

    Kokoro Actroid DER2

    Joey Chaos video

    Jules

    Eva the female robot

    Girl robot sings

    Project Aiko

    Hanson Robotics