5 Ways Robots Will Change Your Life

The estimated reading time for this post is 6 minutes

The Wonder of Tech is pleased to welcome back Ben Allen as a guest author. Ben previously wrote 10 Amazing Uses for Virtual Reality Beyond Gaming for this site and is back to let us know about the future of robots in our lives.

While we are still decades away from a Jetsons-style future, the days of robots in our lives isn’t far off.

The purpose of robots is to work together with humans to do a better job or to automate tasks that:

• take humans too long to do,
• are too tedious, or
• are impossible for us to do.

For certain jobs, like manufacturing cars and cleaning carpets, robots are already becoming commonplace and they will only become increasingly integrated into our lives.

Here are just some ways we are experimenting with robots now, and what it means for our future.

Robots to Make Your Life Easier

You might already be familiar with the Roomba vacuum cleaner as the most common robot in the home, scooting around cleaning carpets and getting stuck against walls, but the future of robots helping you isn’t limited to carpet care. Robots have the possibility to make nearly everything quicker, easier and even eliminate certain tasks completely.

Though rare right now, robots are able to help out with chores around the house beyond vacuuming. Right now, you can buy robots to mow your lawn, clean your gutters, shampoo your carpets and clean your cat’s litter box.

The biggest reason your house isn’t yet crawling with little robots maintaining things is because they are expensive. But, as technology improves, prices will go down and having robot helpers will become common.

Robots will be enhancing our lives in different aspects outside of the home, like how we get mail. As tech continues to improve, the entire delivery system could be replaced with drones and robots to help speed up mail and package delivery.

For example, Amazon is currently experimenting with using drones to deliver small packages. That means, instead of having to wait on a delivery to bring you your new phone case in a few days, you could get it quicker, possibly even just a few hours after you ordered it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98BIu9dpwHU

Some companies are testing robots to do all of our driving for us. From Google to Toyota, car and tech firms are working on self-driving cars, putting robots behind the wheel. It’s a very real possibility that during your morning commute, you could take a nap, read a book, or do your makeup while your car drives for you.

Robots Doing Your Work

If a task doesn’t require human ingenuity, creativity, or compassion, it could potentially be outsourced to robots. In manufacturing, robots are already used widely. They build everything from cars to clothing, with only a few humans to oversee everything. This allows companies to mass produce products 24/7, since robots don’t sleep, take vacations or need lunch breaks.

As artificial intelligence (AI) and robots improve, other careers and workplaces will interact more with robots. Instead of a receptionist at a front desk, a robot or computer with AI may greet customers. Landscapers might sit in an office controlling an army of robots cleaning up your yard. Entire buildings could be built utilizing robots, 3D printers and some schematics from an architect.

Robots To Heal You

Another big area robots are becoming popular is in healthcare. Hospitals are hectic places, with many patients needing almost constant care to heal.

We now have machines that monitor vital signs and doctors who have access to patient data, so utilizing robots is a logical next step. Robots will never fully replace human compassion from medical staff in the healing process, but can help make the staff more efficient.

Many hospitals are experimenting with using robots to deliver supplies, which frees up staff to focus on patients. Hospitals could also utilize robots in caring for patients, for example, lifting patients who might be too heavy for nurses to lift.

Robots and artificial intelligence can also help when it comes to diagnosing patients. Already, doctors are using IBM’s supercomputer Watson when they are stumped, or need to be certain on a medical diagnosis. See, Business Insider, IBM’s Watson Supercomputer May Soon Be The Best Doctor In The World

As artificial intelligence improves, it can provide an extra layer of scrutiny to prevent medical errors, which are currently the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. Doctors will be able to feel more confident in their diagnoses of patients, by having an external source to them up. Artificial intelligence can also help find misdiagnoses early.

Chatbots

Chatbots using advanced AI are another way humans are being replaced with robots. A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet. While there will never be a perfect replacement for human interactions, chatbots will continue to grow in popularity, for a variety of reasons. See, Tech Crunch, Facebook says 10K+ developers are building chatbots.

In customer service, chatbots will be able to help engage with customers and logically determine what the problem is, without ever needing to involve a human. If a chatbot isn’t able to solve the problem, then it has the ability to transfer the customer on to a human customer service agent.

Becoming Friends with Robots

As artificial intelligence programs grow more advanced, we’ll be able to make connections and become friends with robots. Already, we have robots designed to make emotional connections with us.

Robots can help people emotionally and simulate interacting with other living beings and can even take the place of therapy animals. Paro, the robotic seal, can help alleviate stress, loneliness, and agitation by providing comfort to people. This robot has been used to help patients with dementia, depression and other mental health issues.

Pepper is a robot that looks more human-like and was developed to simulate interacting with people, even recognizing emotions, to a certain degree. With multiple cameras and advanced AI, it can tell when you might need cheering up, when you are doing well, and even whether you are annoyed and want to be left alone.

https://youtu.be/oc6UO5GU0mE

As the tech improves, we might even see a Jetsons robot maid, capable of compassion, love, and a little bit of sass, all the while helping out around the house.

Concerned about robots becoming your enemy instead of your friend? As robotic intelligence improves past the point of human knowledge, our species may be at a disadvantage.

Google is working on a solution to stop a robot revolution. See, Business Insider, Google has developed a ‘big red button’ that can be used to interrupt artificial intelligence and stop it from causing harm.

Your Thoughts

What are your thoughts about robots in our lives? Are you eagerly anticipating robots becoming a bigger part of our lives? Do you fear their rise in popularity, as it might lead to them eventually taking over the human race? What changes do you think they’ll have in your life?

Let us know in the Comments section below.

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Ben Allen lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife and daughter and is passionate about technology. He loves playing with new gadgets and finding ways they can improve people’s lives.

You can connect with Ben on Twitter at @allen24ben.

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* Robot Holding Globe image courtesy of digitalart via Freedigitalphotos.net

** Honda robot image via Wikipedia

*** Hospital robot image via Wikipedia