Although people seem to applaud most modern technologies, there are still many misperceptions and fears regarding the use of human-like robots. For many, the word “robot” just means a single type of robots, which is human-like and whose sole job is to mimic humans so people can get a good laugh. However, there is much more to robots than just plain fun and jokes. Robots have been around for a while and have provided great value in personal as well as business life.
Despite scepticism and unmet expectations, the robot technology is making large strides in utilizing robots for many purposes earlier thought undoable. One example is the robot that can perform sensitive surgery that is too intricate for the human hand, even that of a skilled surgeon. Robots are also used in manufacturing plants around the world.
A new application that we may be able to see soon in the Middle East is the robo-garage, as more and more of these projects are being built around the world. A robo-garage is a garage structure that parks the cars itself, without human intervention. The driver turns in the car to the machine, as he would to a valet parking attendant. However, in the case of the robo-garage, there is no humanoid that gets in the car and drives it to an empty parking slot. Instead, electronic lifts perform the job, using computers and robot technology. One such project that will serve a residential apartment building is currently open in New York. Manufacturers of the new robo-garage promise more efficient use of space and being able to park three times the number of cars as compared to a conventional garage.
Of course, as with all robotic projects, there is scepticism and unmet expectations surrounding robo-garage projects. People are wary of letting a machine park their precious cars in a crowded parking lot with lesser space between cars than in conventional garages, especially because of disappointments faced by some users of an earlier robo-garage project. The robo-garage operators, in this incident, were even sued due to a glitch in the operation of their facility that led to delays in some people getting their cars on time.
Part of the reason robot projects are misunderstood is psychological. When one thinks of a robot, he immediately thinks of a human-like machine that imitates people in the way they walk, talk, and perform different functions. However, this is not true. It is true that robots are machines that perform tasks similar to those done by humans. However, they do not have to look or act like humans, as a whole. For example, a robot that tightens bolts in a factory can be just a mechanical arm with a screwdriver bit at the end of its rotor.
The other reason is also psychological and related to the first reason, which is the scepticism people have against robots. For example, factory workers always worry about robots replacing them and doing their functions better and faster. Another part of the scepticism comes from the lack of trust people have in robots, and the fear that they may go crazy one day and hurt humans or produce poor or faulty work.
Stolzer Parkhaus, German manufacturer of robo-garages, has already built around thirty of these facilities, worldwide. Sources say that the company has already shipped such garages to the Middle East, specifically to Dubai.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007