Problems+and+Solutions

= = Problems and Solutions Associated with Robotic Technology = = =Introduction:=

xxxxx When it comes to new technologies and advancements in our society, there is always a percentage of the population that focuses on the substantial issues that can arise from the implementation of that particular advancement. For example: television was seen as a killer for movie theaters; more recently, smart cell phones were thought would increase the amount of distractions in our daily lives. Even in the nearby future, once the self-driven car is built, maybe people will start complaining that it will counter the industry of people that actually require a human driver (like Taxi cabs, Bus drivers, Police officers). The main point is that every invention brings a "side-effect" that has to make our society either move around it and look ahead (like people texting and driving), or simply work with it and integrate it as part of our lives (like people still both go to movies and watch TV). xxxxx This leads us to think that a similar version has happened before in other fields of technology and especially in robotics, which is a branch that has done so much for humanity in advancements and contributions. It also has so much room to develop in the upcoming future, yet every time there is a new improvement, there is always a group that worries about the potential problems that may occur. This gives birth to groups who work on potential solutions that may work the problem out. Rather than concentrating on one or two issues, our group will divide the problems into four different categories: **Safety, Sociocultural, Operational and Unemployment.** We will try to address them in a very objective way so that the reader can judge whether robotics are helping or harming the human race.

=Problem I: Operational=

xxxxx The operations of how robotic equipment works has always been a cause for controversy and has even became subject of daily conversations, books, songs and movies for as long as the imagination of mankind has been able to come up with adversities of the technological advancements in robotic science. Back in the early 1950s and 60s, great Hollywood classics such as The War of Worlds and **Dr Strangelove**, presented a crude face of the apocalyptic future due to a robotic malfunction caused by a human misinterpretation. In fact, Dr Strangelove's plot presents a desperate attempt to try to stop a device called "the doomsday machine" that would trigger a series of nuclear bombings all over the world. This theme would become reoccur as years passed which eventually evolved into the **Terminator** series, where a computer running the defense system of a country takes over the operations to engage in a war against the human race.



Of course these are extreme cases that present the very worst case scenario of an operational problem in robotic equipment.‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ However, it is enough to open the door to a list of minor to serious issues that c ‍‍‍‍‍‍ould point toward the future.‍‍‍‍‍

=**Solution:**= ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ xxxxx According to MIND Technology (2011) "The solution does inverse kinematics calculations to generate adapted control commands and to ensure optimized joints movement and spatial rules integrity. Using a robotic simulator makes it possible to check the correctness of the control sequence, which will lead us to finding any faults that an operational robotic may have. Another solution might be to hire additional people so that their responsibility is to keep the robotics operational. Organizations could just make robots that can be of used by people in every day situations.

=Problem II: Safety=

xxxxx Robotics technology is it safe? Well safety is one of the biggest issues when it comes to employees working next to a machine that does not understand that hurts, or even that crack in your voice when something hurts.Due to this understanding that a machine is as only good as the people who create them, then sometime rules or laws come in to place to help prevent any kind of serious injury. A robot experiencing a malfunction or failure might cause serious injury to someone and it might cause damage to a vital piece of equipment in or around the work area. However the new software and safety system functionality is forever changing the way robots and people interact. Traditionally, safety guards or other barriers separated robots off from people to prevent injuries from fast-moving robotic operations. If an operator needed to interact with the robot or even to load or unload parts within the machine’s work space and according to Schuster & Winrich "for example – the safety control system would need to help confirm that the robot was in a safe state or safe position, which typically meant safely limiting its motion under certain conditions or bringing it to a full stop and removing its energy source."

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=**Solution:**= xxxxx One solution for this safety problem is to make sure that world governments continue to invest in the ISO protocols that are in place. ISO protocol #14121-1:2007, //Safety of machinery,// states that "a basis for the development of further standards dealing with specific safety aspects or safeguards, or for more detailed safety requirements in particular machines. Now the second part of ISO #14121 is currently under preparation. ISO/PRF TR 14121-2, //Safety of machinery – Risk assessment// – Part 2: //Practical guidance and examples of methods.// The next solution is that according to the American National Standards Instutitue, INC the ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999 states that to "enhance the safety of personnel using industrial robot systems by establishing requirements for the manufacture (including remanufacture and overhaul,) installation, safeguarding methods, maintenance and repair of manipulating industrial robots." Another solution according to Stathis, (2007) to use a "SafetyEye," which is a 3D video sensor that is installed above a machine so that can interrupt their movements especially when safety zones are breached The system is rated for hand, leg or body protection in accordance with Cat. 3 of EN954-1, making it suitable for most industrial applications."The development of proper hardware/software architecture for robot motion and on-line safety monitoring helps ensure that a machine thats "going crazy" can be stopped before any bodily harm can be done.This requires solutions to various problems, both from the theoretical aspect and practical point of view. Another solution is to use clauses, rules, or laws which will limit the amount of activity a robotic system has.An example might be to only allow a robo to get 3 feet from an object before it is forced to stop. This will prevent it from knocking into other objects.

=Problem III: Sociocultural=

xxxxx Finally, our group would like to close with a very bold statement. If there is something more profound or hurtful than an operational malfunction, or the economic and financial impact that robotics bring to our society, is the fact that a robotic equipment **can perform better** than humans at a specific task. More importantly, is the fact that it is considered to be a **specifically human specialty task**. While this has some impact on our logistics or pockets, it as well hurts our egos, moves us away from our comfort zone and leaves wounds that take years to heal. The fact that a machine is able to in essence take your job, is both threatening and heartbreaking at the same time. Not only you are learning that you are replaceable and expendable, but you are humiliated by one that is not one of your own (IE you are not being replaced by another human).

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ xxxxx In 1997, the then World Chess Champion and one of the best chess players of all time, Gary Kasparov accepted to give a rematch to the IBM robotics and science programmers to play their latest and best product called "Deep Blue", which Kasparov had easily defeated just one year before in 1996 by a score of 4 games to 2 -which in chess is quite a sound victory, like say in baseball have Team A beat Team by 6 runs to 1-. ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ xxxxx With a prize pool of over $1 million, Kasparov probably thought that he would have another "walk in the park" match that would end up having a comfortable victory, however this was not the case. After winning the first game with poor play from Deep Blue and solid play from Kasparov, the computer was able to tie the score in game #2 when Kasparov unexpectedly and surprisingly resigned when he could have forced a draw instead, and held its own against the World Champion for the next three games. On the sixth and final game, Deep Blue forced Kasparov into a terrible blunder early in the starting moves, and the World Champion quickly got into trouble; after only 19 moves, Kasparov surrendered (which is the equivalent of losing a boxing match by KO in the second round), and just like that Deep Blue had defeated him by 3.5 games to 2.5.

xxxxx Kasparov immediately demanded an apology from the IBM team, alleging that he was 100% sure that there had been human intervention during the games and the Deep Blue's software was altered and reprogrammed to not play chess, but to play chess to specifically beat Kasparov. Kasparov also demanded to see the chess logs that Deep Blue had produced during all games in order to backup his theory that at certain point of the match the robotic computer had probably gone into loop holes and that it needed to be rebooted and re-powered by human intervention, in order to sustain the rhythm of Kasparov's top play. Kasparov went as far as saying that Deep Blue was never able to produce a win in all the series, unless he surrendered drawn positions for unknown reasons (View video below): media type="youtube" key="TdykHC93PrA" height="310" width="447" align="right"

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Solution:= xxxxx The solution here has many different outlooks on how this could be addressed, for example one might say that we should make the robots on as smart as an average human. Another might say that we should allow them to be able to learn and adapt. However, if you believe the movies it always ends up where the machines become more intellectual than the humans and try to dictate us in to the of their program. On the other hand, building a machine that can help humans out with the toughest of jobs than lets make robotics, but if we need to make robotics only for a specific purpose and not an all around band aid. = =

=Problem IV: Unemployment=

xxxxx A big problem when you think about new robotics coming online every day is that they are doing the job otherwise done by humans. Most of these jobs are in the manufacturing and automotive industry that don't really need any specialized skill. 45% of robots purchased in North America in 2005 were material handling and assembly line robots (Malone, 2006). One main reason why many companies are heading toward a robot workforce is the cost. Robots are cheaper in the long run and can run for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long without being late for work. It's not that robots are taking all the jobs away from humans, but they are doing it a lot more efficently than we ever could.

xxxxx Machines have been replacing humans from the early 1900's when people migrated from farms to cities to find higher paying jobs. Back then, 41% of Americans worked on farms and now thanks to technology and new machines and robots, that number is down to 2%. It all comes down ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍to economics. ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ It is much cheaper to have one robot or machine do the same job as 2 humans. It took 6 workers in 1910 to do the same job as 4 workers in 1940. It also dwindled down to 2 workers in 1970 and only 1 in 2005(Lynch, 2012).

xxxxx If you look at the numbers you will see the obvious reason why robots are effective. The average US automobile worker is paid at least $25 per hour plus benfits. The average cost to operate a robot doing the same job is 30 cents per hour, a significant cost reduction. Although the initial investment and purchase price of an industrial robot is around $60,000, this money can be collected within a couple years of inital setup (Malone, 2006). Companies do not have to pay for any health care, retirement plan, pension, vacation and sick days, or deal with unsatified workers who have the potential to strike or protest.

=Solution:=

xxxxx With unemployment on the rise these days, do you ever hear about anyone blaming robots? The answer is no, that's because the government does a good enough job at keeping unemployment rates through the roof. However, the robotics industry not only put people out of jobs by being more efficient and cost effective; but, they also employ many high trained and highly skilled technicians to design, build, and manufacture. Just think about it, robots and machines are much like human employees because, they require maintenance. Whether it be in the form of changing the oil or updating the programming, just like human employees require benefits and health care packages. Robots are much different. For every one robot that has taken over a humans job there are estimated to be at least 3 new employees (hired by the robotics industry) to help maintain, and provide support for the machines. Thus, ensuring their continued operation.

=‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍Transition statement: ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍=

xxxxx Regardless of the issues Robotics may have had in the past and will have in the future, it is undeniable that there has been a substantial contribution to mankind's life and the objectives we have been able to accomplish.