| The development of a robot with a natural human or | | | | agents. The word "bot" in the term is a reference to |
| animal gait is incredibly difficult and requires a large | | | | the "robotic", mundane, repetitive tasks that the |
| amount of computational power. Now that background | | | | applications perform.[citation needed]Tactile sensors |
| technologies of behavior, navigation and path planning | | | | and skin are close to providing robots with a |
| have been solved using basic wheeled robots, | | | | human-like sense of touch. The South Korean |
| roboticists are moving on to develop walking robots | | | | government has set a goal of having a robot in every |
| (eg. SIGMO, QRIO, ASIMO & Hubo). One approach to | | | | South Korean home by 2015-2020 [10].Robot News |
| walk control is Passive dynamics, where the robot's | | | | gives current news in robotic developments and |
| geometry is such that it will almost walk without active | | | | Talking Robots Podcast contains interviews with |
| control. | | | | robotics professionals. |
| Initial work has focused on multi-legged robots (eg. | | | | Although robots have not developed to the stage |
| Aibo), such as hexapods [8], as they are statically | | | | where they pose any threat or danger to society, |
| stable and so are easier to work with, whereas a | | | | fears and concerns about robots have been |
| bipedal robot must be able to balance. The balancing | | | | repeatedly expressed in a wide range of books and |
| problem is taken to an extreme by the Robotic | | | | films. The principal theme is the robots' intelligence and |
| unicycle. A problem with the development of robots | | | | ability to act could exceed that of humans, that they |
| with natural gaits is that human and animal bodies utilize | | | | could develop a conscience and a motivation to take |
| a very large number of muscles in movement and | | | | over or destroy the human race. (See The |
| replicating all of those mechanically is very difficult and | | | | Terminator) |
| expensive. This field of robot research has become | | | | Frankenstein (1818), sometimes called the first science |
| known as Biomorphic robotics. | | | | fiction novel, has become synonymous with the theme |
| Progress is being made in the field of feedback and | | | | of a robot or monster advancing beyond its creator. |
| tactile sensors which allow a robot to sense their | | | | Probably the best known author to work in this area is |
| actions and adjust their behavior accordingly. This is | | | | Isaac Asimov who has placed robots and their |
| vital to enable robots to perform complex physical | | | | interaction with society at the center of many of his |
| tasks that require some active control in response to | | | | works. Of particular interest are Asimov's Three Laws |
| the situation. | | | | of Robotics. Asimov also coined the term "Robotics" |
| Medical robotics is a growing field and regulatory | | | | as the science or study of the technology associated |
| approval has been granted for the use of robots in | | | | with robots. |
| minimally invasive procedures. Robots are being used | | | | Currently, malicious programming or unsafe use of |
| in performing highly delicate, accurate surgery, or to | | | | robots may be the biggest danger. Although industrial |
| allow a surgeon who is located remotely from their | | | | robots may be smaller and less powerful than other |
| patient to perform a procedure using a robot controlled | | | | industrial machines, they are just as capable of inflicting |
| remotely. More recently, robots can be used | | | | severe injury on humans. However, since a robot can |
| autonomously in surgery [9]. | | | | be programmed to move in different trajectories |
| Experimental winged robots and other examples | | | | depending on its task, its movement can be |
| exploiting biomimicry are also in early development. | | | | unpredictable for a person standing in its reach. |
| So-called "nanomotors" and "smart wires" are | | | | Therefore, most industrial robots operate inside a |
| expected to drastically simplify motive power, while | | | | security fence which separates them from human |
| in-flight stabilization seems likely to be improved by | | | | workers. Manuel De Landa has theorized that humans |
| extremely small gyroscopes. A significant driver of this | | | | are at a critical and significant juncture where humans |
| work is military research into spy technologies. | | | | have allowed robots, "smart missiles," and autonomous |
| Energetically autonomous robots, is a field of study | | | | bombs equipped with artificial perception to make |
| under the category of biologically inspired robotics, | | | | decisions about killing us. He believes this represents an |
| which aims to develop artificial agents that can remain | | | | important and dangerous trend where humans are |
| self-sustainable in natural environments with minimum | | | | transferring more of our cognitive structures into our |
| human intervention. This field of research spreads | | | | machines.[3] Even without malicious programming, a |
| further into the fields of alternative energy sources and | | | | robot, especially a future model moving freely in a |
| waste management, as it integrates the Microbial Fuel | | | | human environment, is potentially dangerous because |
| Cell technology with robotics, and allows for waste or | | | | of its large moving masses, powerful actuators and |
| food waste to be the 'fuel'. This class of robots is at | | | | unpredictably complex behavior. A robot falling on |
| the very early stages of development, however with | | | | someone or just stepping on his foot by mistake could |
| great impact in applications such as the | | | | cause much more damage to the victim than a human |
| aforementioned unpleasant or dangerous for humans | | | | being of the same size. Designing and programming |
| environments. Two examples of energetically | | | | robots to be intrinsically safe and to exhibit safe |
| autonomous robots that exist today are EcoBots I and | | | | behavior in a human environment is one of the great |
| II. | | | | challenges in robotics. Some people suggest that |
| Internet bots, also known as web robots, are | | | | developing a robot with a conscience may be helpful in |
| automated internet applications controlled by software | | | | this regard. |