Reference no: EM131039221

Different Types of Robots

Telepresence robots. Telepresence robots are designed to help companies save money on travel and on expensive teleconferencing technology. They enable people in remote offices or locations to have a rich communications experience without using a complicated video conference system. A telepresence robot has both a video camera and a video screen embedded in its "head." It also has wheels so it can be moved around remotely by computer. It is designed to steer its way clear of obstacles and people. These robots enable an individual to maintain a consistent connection with co-workers, customers, or clients. The user places the robot at a remote location and directs it to move around, for example, a conference room during a meeting, broadcasting what is going on to the human controlling it from afar. Interestingly, the robots actually break down barriers of awkwardness that people sometimes feel in person-to-person meetings. Telepresence robots are used for purposes other than conducting business. For example, they let homebuyers virtually tour distant properties, they enable doctors to conduct bedside consultations from a distance (telemedicine), they provide an inexpensive method to patrol workplaces at night, and they allow parents who are out to dinner to stay in touch with their children at home. Other examples are

• Business managers are using telepresence robots to virtually walk factory floors.

• Healthcare organizations are employing robots for home care.

• In the retail environment, a robot could wander the floor with a customer who asks it purchasing or support questions. The person controlling the robot could answer the questions, essentially making the robot a mechanical sales clerk. Many start-up companies are developing tele presence robots. Let's take a look at some of them.

• Oculus, made by Xaxxon Technologies (www.xaxxon.com), is utilized primarily for security patrols. The robot is essentially a set of wheels for a laptop that runs Skype videoconferencing software. Oculus can be controlled with a smartphone.

• In December 2012, a start-up called Robotics Valley (www .roboticsvalley.com), began manufacturing a $300 three wheeled tele presence robot called Botiful. Botiful is remotely piloted, it carries an Android-based smartphone, and streams video via Skype. Autonomous Cars. Autonomy is commonly defi ned as the ability of a machine to make decisions without human intervention. The best-known example of an autonomous, or self-driving, car is the Google driverless car. In August 2012, Google announced that its autonomous car team had completed more than 300,000 accident-free, self-driving miles. As of September 2012, four states had passed laws permitting driverless cars: Nevada, Florida, Texas, and California. As of mid-2013, Google had not announced any plans to commercially develop the system. An attorney for the California Department of Motor Vehicles raised concerns that Google's technology is "ahead of the law in many areas," citing state laws that "all presume to have a human being operating the vehicle." Audi, Toyota, and Cadillac, among other car brands, are developing autonomous cars as well. It is worth noting that each of Google's driverless test cars contains about $150,000 in equipment. With so many automobile manufacturers developing autonomous cars, the price will undoubtedly drop quickly. Drones. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft that does not have a human pilot on board. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by computers contained in the vehicle or via remote control by a pilot located either on the ground or in another vehicle. UAVs are deployed predominately for military applications, but they are also employed in a growing number of civil applications including police work, fi refighting, and nonmilitary security work such as surveillance of pipelines and border control. The ultimate goal in the development of autonomous technology in UAVs is to replace the human pilot. To this end, artificial intelligence has advanced to the point where UAVs are capable of taking off, landing, and flying by themselves. It remains to be seen, however, whether the perception of autonomous technology, and, most importantly, the political climate surrounding the use of such technology, will limit the development and utility of autonomous UAVs. There is a great deal of controversy concerning the use of UAVs within the United States.

These drones are powerful surveillance tools, capable of carrying facial recognition systems, license plate scanners, thermal imaging cameras, open Wi-Fi scanners, and many other types of sensors. On January 10, 2012, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an advocacy group for free speech and privacy rights in technology-related areas, fi led a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration. In response, the FAA, for the first time, released a list of the names of all public and private entities that have applied for authorization to fly drones domestically. Among these organizations is the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP), located within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The CBP has used UAVs to patrol U.S. borders since 2005. Other organizations on the list include the FBI, the Department of Defense, and local law enforcement agencies. Significantly, U.S. citizens currently have few legal privacy protections from aerial surveillance conducted with UAVs. In one case, the U.S. Supreme Court held that individuals do not have the right to privacy from police observation from public airspace, even on their private property. The weakness of legal protection from UAV surveillance has led civil liberties advocacy groups to pressure the U.S. government to issue laws and regulations that establish both privacy protections and greater transparency regarding the use of UAVs to gather information about individuals. Sources: Compiled from A. Vance, "Google Self-Driving Robot Cars Are Ruining My Commute," Bloomberg BusinessWeek, March 28, 2013; J. Horgen, "Unmanned Flight," National Geographic, March 2013; W. Knight, "The Perfect Parking Garage: No Drivers Required," MIT Technology Review, March 27, 2013; "Your Alter Ego on Wheels," The Economist, March 9, 2013; M. Whittington, "Law Proposed in Texas to Require Licensed Driver in Self-Driving Vehicles," Yahoo! News, March 8, 2013; M. Stewart, "Drones Patrolling U.S. Borders Spark Controversy Over Privacy," TheDenverChannel.com, February 24, 2013; J. Oram, "Governor Brown Signs California Driverless Car Law at Google HQ," WebProNews, September 27, 2012; M. Slosson, "Google Gets First Self-Driven Car License in Nevada," Reuters, May 8, 2012; D. Bennett, "I'll Have My Robots Talk to Your Robots," Bloomberg BusinessWeek, February 21-27, 2011; A. Diana, "12 Advances in Medical Robotics," InformationWeek, January 29, 2011; www.xaxxon.com, www.roboticsvalley.com, accessed March 23, 2013.

Questions

1. Discuss some disadvantages of (a) tele presence robots; (b) autonomous cars; and (c) drones.

2. Would you be willing to ride in an autonomous car? Why or why not?

3. Which occupations are most at risk from a widespread adoption of autonomous cars? Support your answer.

4. Debate the privacy issues associated with domestic use of drones by police forces.