Everybody loves robots right? Well, not if you've just lost your job to one but otherwise, yah, why not? In this report I would like to look at a few recent @Techblogger articles about robotics and make a few predictions based on the information presented.
Robot Ability # 1 - Deconstruction and Recycling Applications
Robot News: Meet Daisy Apple's New Secret Weapon in Environmentalism!
It has only been about a year since Apple announced that it was zeroing in on a future where iPhones and MacBooks were created wholly of recycled materials.
For one of the largest tech companies in the world, this sends a message to competitors! Apple is going to set the trend for the entire industry to move towards more sustainable practices. It is a great PR move and beyond that, it is simply the right thing to do!
Many don't know this but in a technologically-charged world, many forget that nearly 100 percent of e-waste is recyclable. But is it? It definitely is not! Should it be? Of course it should...
“Daisy,” is Apple’s new robot. It is a second generation robot following in the footsteps of its ancestor, Liam, which Apple used to disassemble unneeded iPhones in an attempt to scrap or reuse the materials.
Daisy is very talented, it can salvage a bulk of the material needed to create brand new iPhones. To be more specific, the robot is capable of extracting parts from nine types of iPhone, and for every 100,000 devices it manages to recover 1,900 kg (4,188 pounds) of aluminum, 770 kg of cobalt, 710 kg of copper, and 11 kg of rare earth elements.
The rare earth elements extraction ability is particularly useful considering that these materials are some of the hardest and environmentally un-friendly materials required to build the devices.
In a recent environmental progress report, Apple made the following statement:
We hold ourselves to a strict definition of closed loop: To meet our goal, we must use 100 per cent responsibly sourced recycled or renewable materials and ensure the equivalent amount is returned to market. Recognizing that this goal could take many years to reach, we remain committed to responsible sourcing of primary materials as we make the transition.
Apple is making efforts in moving towards a completely green future but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done if the end goal is building entire MacBook and iPhone lines from recycled parts. Regardless it is hard to argue that they aren't making progress. Apple is getting there!
Daisy is a prototype and Apple is taking the next step by placing recovery robots in multiple locations throughout the United States and Europe.
Robot Ability # 2 - Multipurpose Destruction and Transportation
Tech News: The Real Age of Transformers Has Arrived!
Well folks... Today was another shocker when I learned that Japanese engineers have created a robot that transforms into a car that can actually carry people on board!
If this isn't the future then let me know when it gets here eh? Jaw dropped to the floor and I was stunned that we have come so far as to accomplish another extraordinary feat that I honestly believed would remain the domain of sci-fi movies for at least another decade!
This apparently is the first-ever such accomplishment in the history of robots!
The 'J-deite RIDE' is a 3.7-metre (12.1-feet)-tall two-seater robot that can transform into a sports car in a process that takes about a minute. It can technically walk at a speed of 100 metres per hour (0.06 mph) or run on its four wheels but developers said they've never really tested it outside the factory cargo bay area!
If you don't believe me, take a look at the video below!
Robot Ability # 3 - Personal Delivery or Bodyguard
Robot News : The Atlas Went From Walk to Sprint!
If you've been following the story of Boston Dynamics’ robots you would know that significant advancements are being made in the field of robotics and many of them are coming out of this specific company. In fact as videos are continued to be released their flagship robots, the Atlas and SpotMini are looking much more natural and amazing. There is no doubt a lot of progess is being made.
The clips don’t reveal much we haven’t seen before, but they both show how naturally these robots are able to move around. In the video below, Atlas, is going for a jog in a yard with some difficult terrain and not appearing to be troubled by it in the slightest!
Beyond that it seems the video also shows proof of Atlas being able to encounter difficult obstacles and simply hop over them!
In another video, the dog-like SpotMini is shown running around an office and climbing stairs like a pro!
In the video above the SpotMini has already mapped the area with assistance from an operator and is now able to operate autonomously, using cameras to avoid obstacles.
Are you guys impressed yet? What do you expect to come next in the field of robotics?
Where are we going with robotics?
Based on the information presented in the articles above I would say that our world is about to go a robotic revolution the likes of which we have never seen before. Factories are already using robots quite frequently in replace of human labor but there are new and exciting applications that will find more people at the unemployment lines. They can pick tomatoes, act as personal assistants, open doors and close them, even get you a beer from the fridge.
Personal robotics have yet to hit the market in a major way but I predict we are just years away at most from seeing them everywhere we go and using them frequently in household settings.
What do you guys think of these predictions? Please leave your thoughts below.
Source:
The Verge
TNM
Image Source:
Pixabay
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