| Enhancements to robotics technologies in the future | | | | visually assist consumers with sight deficiency in huge |
| could yield smarter machines, greater robot | | | | retail stores. Specially-designed robots guide the |
| productivity and increased quality of life for people. In | | | | consumer through the aisles waiting to take instructions |
| the future, we may see robots doing our housework | | | | through a small directory of products, which is |
| and carrying out other tasks in the physical world. | | | | attached to its handle. The consumer asks and the |
| Humans will over time share the planet with intelligent | | | | robot replies by voice. Then, the robot uses its |
| robots, able to perform efficiently all trivial, but also | | | | radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader in order to |
| highly specialized tasks. | | | | locate the desired products. The store's RFID tags |
| Today, robots are mostly used in medicine. Their main | | | | assist the robot to navigate the lanes as well as to |
| application is in difficult operations, namely head | | | | locate products. |
| surgeries that cannot be performed with the traditional | | | | In the future, robotic-aided emergency surgeries would |
| method, or in complex laparoscopic surgeries which | | | | be performed in space shuttles according to a |
| require delicate handling. What enhances the business | | | | simulation of the harsh environment and extreme |
| value of robotics is the fact that commercial computer | | | | conditions occurring in space which has taken place in |
| hardware is the key to building a reliable robot, from | | | | a ten years experiment undersea. Moreover, the event |
| fast processors to cheap flash memory and | | | | of performing operations in remote locations on Earth |
| high-capacity hard drives. Moreover, robots serve | | | | has already been examined and the experiment has |
| niche markets, with annual sales of about $5.5 billion for | | | | been considered very successful. NASA develops the |
| industrial robots (the type that automotive companies | | | | necessary technology in order to perform a remote |
| use to weld and paint cars) and about $1 billion for | | | | operation of an astronaut during an interplanetary |
| robots used in education, entertainment and cleaning | | | | travel with a remote control robot surgeon. Of course, |
| homes. | | | | such a development may benefit many patients on |
| Robots are also effectively used in supply chain | | | | Earth. |
| management. Globalization, information technology and | | | | The general trend for computers seems to be faster |
| outsourcing have enabled many organizations to | | | | processing speed, and greater memory capacity, |
| operate collaborative supply networks where each | | | | allowing for the assumption that the robots of the |
| business partner focuses on its specialization and on a | | | | future would function closer to the human |
| few key strategic activities. Particularly, in supply chain | | | | decision-making ability. Moreover, a recent study on |
| management, robots facilitate distribution networks by | | | | behalf of the U.K. Office of Science and Innovation's |
| being used in warehouse activities like cross docking, | | | | Horizon Scanning Centre holds that robots might reach |
| palletizing, kitting, tagging, and identifying products. In that | | | | a point of intelligence at which they could demand |
| way, a highly automated warehouse has become a | | | | freedom from ownership, clearly insinuating |
| core part of the supply chain. | | | | independence. |
| Recent studies have shown that the information flow | | | | Conclusively, enhancements to robotics technologies in |
| from the environment to the robots, and then from the | | | | the future could yield smarter machines, greater robot |
| robots back to the environment can be measured by | | | | productivity and increased quality of life for people. |
| recording what the robots see and what they do. In | | | | Apparently, once robots have the ability to perform a |
| that way, better robots can be designed and built thus | | | | wider array of tasks, and the voice recognition |
| maximizing the information flow within the organization | | | | software is improved so that computers can interpret |
| which automatically implies more flexible, capable | | | | complicated sentences in varying accents, we may in |
| systems, quicker operations and higher profit margins. | | | | fact see robots doing our housework and carrying out |
| Another effective application of robots is their use to | | | | other tasks in the physical world. |