 Technology
and Humans
There's no doubt in
anyone's mind that technology has excelled tremendously over the past few
decades. Whether it's computers, phones, or other gadgets, we have definitely
come a long way.
But most recently, the most groundbreaking technology seems
to be robotics. Things that once took a large amount of time and work to
accomplish now take much less time with the help of robotics. Whether it's in
an industrial setting or just in a home setting, robots are beginning to become
integrated into our lives more and more.
However, with all of this new technology and all of these
impressive advancements, the importance of teaching people how to properly
interact with robots is becoming ever more important. In industrial settings,
this is typically in the form of formal training programs or classes that allow
workers to fully understand how the robots work so that they can safely use
them.
Robotics in the
workplace are now becoming more than just putting the piece of technology at
its station and letting it work. Interaction between workers and the robots is
becoming more of the norm.
Human-Robot
Interaction
Human-robot interaction (HRI) is a step toward allowing
workers and robots to work together effectively. Often times when a robot is
used in an industrial setting, it is zoned off and workers are not permitted to
get too close to it for safety reasons.
But part of the newest HRI developments is creating robots
that are "human-friendly" and won't pose a threat to workers nearby. This can
be done through the use of sensors on the robot so that when a person
approaches it, it slows down or stops its movement so as to not cause injury.
And thanks to new, more advanced algorithms, robots that can
move much more gently and anticipate what humans around them are going to do
are being created. This anticipation function will better allow robots to be of
more help because they will be able to determine what exactly a person near
them needs.
Cross-training
One very interesting thing that has been done by a study
from MIT is called cross-training. In this study, humans and robots that
performed tasks together in the workplace did something different to help their
teamwork efforts-they swapped roles.
For instance, one task was on an assembly line where the
human would place a screw somewhere and the robot would drill the screw in.
When the human and robot switched roles-the robot placing the screw and the
human drilling-the robot was able to observe how the human did the drilling.
Then when the robot would go back to drilling, it had learned how the human
preferred the drilling to be done and could do it that way.
This study ultimately showed that through cross-training,
both humans and robots were better able to work together in the workplace. It
helped improve teamwork skills and make human-robot interaction easier and more
efficient than it was with those who didn't use cross-training.
All of this is to say that great steps are being made toward
easier and safer human-robot interaction. It's not a crazy idea to imagine a
world that will soon consist of humans and robots working together so closely
in everyday life.
With all of the advancements that have already been made, it
will be exciting to see what's going to come next.
Editor's Note: Brianna Martin is a freelance writer from Lancaster, Pennsylvania who
has been published across the web. The topics she has covered span from
technological advancements to industrial operations and solutions for companies
like Kuka
Robotics who are constantly pushing the limits when it comes to
interactive engineering.
Citations:
Link: http://www.technologyreview.com/view/522646/robots-are-becoming-ready-to-work-among-us/
Dig a little deeper into the MIT study done on human to robot
interaction.
Link: http://humanrobotinteraction.org/2014/
Upcoming events will be highlighting the latest industry news on HRI.
The HRI 2014 will be featuring speakers, workshops, and programs for companies,
researchers, innovators, and anyone looking to learn more about the subject.
Link: http://gizmodo.com/a-humans-guide-to-googles-many-robots-1509799897
It wouldn't be a trend if Google wasn't doing it. Google has acquired
eight robotic companies in the past two months.
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