Today, we talk about our robotic world as if it were a fact, but it didn’t happen by itself. There has been a steady and recently increasing growth in the science of robotics. Mechanized Machinery is nothing new, it has been around since mankind began building sophisticated tools. Today, with the advent of the silicon chip and the future of computing, robotics can do much more than ever before.
Artificial intelligence has also increased capabilities, along with extremely sophisticated sensors. Before I retired I was in the car wash business, and the amount of robotics used in an industry as simple as that is intense. And yes, it has obviously revolutionized the sector. Of course, when it comes to cars, everything about car manufacturing these days is robotic. From the mechanism of the assembly line that moves the car to the robots that assemble them.
Yes, this has been good news and bad news. It has improved manufacturing productivity to an incredible and completely unattainable extent, which would have been impossible without robotics. It has also caused a lot of angst with unions, where robotics are pitted against humans in manufacturing jobs.
There is a very good book that I think you should read, it was written in the early 1980s, but it shows you that the age of robotics has been going on for quite some time and the future looks brighter than ever. The name of the book is;
“Robotics Past, Present, Future” by David C. Knight, William Morrow and Company Publishers, New York, NY, (1983), 122 pages, ISBN: 0-688-01490-9.
The author of this book is a pretty interesting guy. He is studying engineering in Paris, New York and Philadelphia. He has written many books on extremely interesting scientific topics, such as the biology of viruses, ultrasound and sound, and galactic formations. He is no stranger when it comes to science.
This book takes you through the various definitions of; “What is a robot?” It also takes you through some of the science fiction stories and the origins and history of robotics. The most fascinating section talks about all robotics in various industries, along with future robotics to be used in the home and office. And I would like to remind the reader that this was written in the early 1980s. There is also a section on robots in space and their use or possible future use in medicine.
Not long ago, I had the pleasure of teaching a robotic system called “The Da Vinci” that was used in telerobotic medical operations. It is amazing that in the 1980s people would have conceived of this potential eventuality that is now here today. In fact, I hope you will please consider this and perhaps buy this book.