Week 2 - Robotic Capabilities (Group C)

Week 2 - Robotic Capabilities (Group C)

Robotic development has been continued rapidly. Nowadays, we can find robotic systems pretty much everywhere. Could robotic technology affect the building where humans find the comfort and safe in their lives?

Ever since the computer technology have been developed, they changed the way of life in the offices as well as the job sites. Since the performance of machines getting better and better, people started to adopting the era. Despite people still trying to fight for their rights to keep their jobs and possible computer errors that could cost human lives, researches and studies are coming up with convincing statistics and results to announce that the futuristic world is not too far way from now. One of the best example is Google self-driving car. The research is taken in the state of California to show the world that even computer programming error could bring better results than human errors. Along with Google, Volvo and Auidi's also perform self-driving program on the highway and streets with busy traffics.

Robotic actions does not stop on the road, but they also were taken into factories and commercial buildings. These robots are being more precise, small, durable, and cheaper as the technology advances. ABB's IRB 120 is one of the smallest robot arm that could work in the factory. That small robot arm, as small as 25kg can operate many repetitive works like what the robot arms that people could expect.

What if these technologies could be used for human comfort and safeties in buildings? There are many robots developed, but still in the progress of perfecting it. Quodrotor machines can build any types of figures as long as it could be generated in computer program and materials are light enough. Those machines are very effective since they have no limit of access during the construction and move whole lot faster than human workers. Like Nameita says, Robots also have sensors to operate HVAC construction to figure out the data that are changing throughout the construction. However, they are not precise enough and limits of weight for carrying. Also there is a limit of connection methods which has to require glues and magnetic connections. To be more realistic, they could be used for visual inspection for unreachable space by human.

Serviceability  is another important factor of the building that human expects. With technology nowadays, robot can find its location and remove obstacles to get to assigned locations. WooWee is one of the leading company that designs the machine to located and control robot itself to explore the building. If these machines get be developed further more, these machine can save human lives in the unlivable condition like fire or earth quakes. Like david mentioned, some of the schools are already using machines for human works. Even in a Japanese restaurant, machines are not only making ramen noodle to serve, but also they perform for entertainments.

If the Robot technologies keep developing as it is, one day, robots would become human's best friend. That would bring many advantages and disadvantages. It is good to keep the traditions, but sometimes, accepting new things could help to carry on the tradition in better ways. Future is almost here.


Nameita Toure, future robot capabilities
David Barbalace, future robot capabilities
Wowwee, Home robots
Quodrotor team, Construction footage with quodrotor
NTD TV, Japanese ramen making machine
Singularity HUB, ABB's sallest robot arms and many more
Chris Matzski, Google's self-driving car