ROBOTICS TRENDS: WHAT WILL THE FUTURE HOLD?

Robotics encompasses the study, design, and application of robot machines to perform automated physical tasks without ongoing human intervention. The field blends engineering, computer science, and mathematics principles to develop programmable, sensor-equipped machines that can move, manipulate objects, and complete useful work across a variety of situations.

Beyond traditional notions of autonomous human-shaped machines, robotics today encompasses many device forms, capabilities and expanding use cases. Industrial robot arms rapidly construct cars on assembly lines. Tiny cube-shaped robots deliver goods in warehouses. Soft, flexible surgical robots navigatively through incisions to assist doctors during operations. Submersible rovers autonomously explore extreme undersea environments. Four-legged package delivery dogs climb stairs to drop off parcels. Bricklaying robots build homes faster and more precisely than humanly possible.

Most robots contain a level of cognition, mobility and manipulation ability. Sensors to capture visual, acoustic, thermal, or pressure data allow robots to perceive environments. Programming directs sequences of mechanical movements and adaptations to this sensor-based stimuli per objectives. Artificial intelligence advances increasingly enable more agile, accurate and independent decision-making by robots.

Robots promise immense economic benefits across industries through productivity gains, consistent output quality, operations in hazardous sites, relieving workers of dull, dirty or dangerous tasks and emergency response applications during disasters or pandemics. As computational power grows exponentially according to Moore’s Law while components miniaturize, more capable, affordable and commonplace robots continue emerging worldwide. Market reports forecast the global robotics industry multiplying from roughly $80 billion presently to over $540 billion by 2030.

Yet as with any transformative technology, responsible development and usage governing safety, security, privacy and equity merit ongoing consideration to guide positive societal adoption. But the versatile innovations within modern robotics poised to generate efficiency, convenience and access improvements across manufacturing, healthcare, infrastructure, transportation, security and modern living hint at a roboticized future that humans can thrive in.