When the computer entered the public eye more than 20 years ago, no one would have believed how quickly the PC and internet have developed. Today, many robots such as the US's "ROOMBA," Japan's "ASIMO," France's "NAO," and South Korea's "IROBI" have made their debut. Is the era of the robot approaching?
The word "robot" first appeared in European literature in 1920, followed by the birth of the first generation of robots. Since then, humans have not ceased robot R&D and application. At present, there are about 900 million robots working in factories, hospitals, mines and institutes worldwide. A new generation of robots will gradually enter the family home and quietly change people's lives.
Scientists generally believe that computer technology had the most significant influence on human life in the 20th Century and robots will continue to affect human life in the 21st Century. They are no longer simply mechanical hands; the new generation of robots essentially represents an intelligent manipulation system. More and more robots are used in the production sector and people's daily lives. With basic expressions for emotion and intelligent thinking, these robots can sing songs, dance, read books, surf the internet, help someone park a car, clean the house, take care of old people and collect important information. Undoubtedly, this new generation of robots can take care of complicated and trivial housework. To that end, South Korea has drawn up an ambitious robot development plan that will equip every household with a robot by 2015.
Today, there are more than 4 million robots in homes around the world. The total sales in robot built-in software are $130 billion. By 2010, the output of the global household robot industry is expected to reach a value of $300 billion, and reach $800 billion by 2025. By 2050, the number of robots may even exceed that of automobiles today. To share in these enormous "golden eggs," developed countries in the West are accelerating development to seize the high ground; and are using their technological superiority to gain the initiative.
However, there are still many challenges to achieving an "advanced" mentality in robots. For example, robots still have not acquired the following: self-management and target recognition, accurate and complete access to environmental sensory information, human-machine emotion tactile force exchange technology, and a network operator for long-range surveillance and control. On the day when all these requirements are met, robots with silicone skin and bodies will be closer to humans. Scientists are convinced that an, "‘artificial brain' will surpass the human brain sooner or later. Then, a robot soccer team will beat the world champions."
A major problem now is the way humans evaluate intelligent robots. People are concerned that the competition between the humans and robots that existed in 1811 will repeat itself in the future. In addition, at a certain point in time, a robot culture will appear and once again raise the question of how humans should treat this issue. Would they continue to be the "iron slaves" of human beings? With the possibility of a conflict between man and robot, how does one determine liability? As a result, earlier this year, South Korea developed the world's first "Robot moral Charter" to prevent humans from "abusing" robots and robots from harming humans. Recently, the European Commission has set up relevant agencies to discuss the code of robot development.
French scientists pointed out that the flourishing of robot development does not only foreshadow a technological revolution; but also sends out an irrefutable invitation to mankind. As a result, humans have to reconsider their future; and move in the direction of artificial intelligence research.
By People's Daily Online
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