Isaac Asimov envisaged an imaginary future in which humanoids, programmed to follow the Three Laws of Robotics, served humankind. The Jetsons, stars of the eponymous animated sitcom set in a space-based future, had Rosie, their faithful maid, all tin and bolts. The Skywalkers of the famous Star Wars saga had C-3PO. There’s no denying it: the idea of having robots at our beck and call has always fascinated us. But will we really have droids serving us in our homes one day? And when will this be? Is it possible to make predictions?
Opinions vary wildly to say the least. Some think it will be a reality in ten years, twenty at the most – the time necessary to perfect the technologies that animate these “creatures”. Others think we will have to wait a lot longer before robots are considered safe enough to be able to share people’s homes, or underline their limited accessibility due to economic reasons. Others still are convinced it will never happen, or hope it will never happen, because they are worried that machines may one day be able to think for themselves and act independently, out of our control.
Domestic robots: ever closer
The reality of the situation is much more nuanced. First of all, robots, in the general sense of the word, are already in our homes, even if their appearances are quite different from our own. One example is domotics, another is the domestic cleaning robot which automatically covers every centimetre of our floors looking for dust and crumbs and is now also being programmed to carry out more complex tasks like vacuuming rugs and sofas, cleaning the windows and even cutting the grass with the utmost precision. Then there are our kitchen “helpers”, programmable machines that guarantee us perfectly cooked soups and risottos (and that’s not all) at a specified time.
Although from a technological point of view they are now able to carry out highly sophisticated actions, sometimes equal to those performed by humans, for humanoids the process is certainly a bit longer and more complex. There are prototypes with arms that are able to pick up objects and put them back in their place, sort the rubbish and even open a beer and serve it to their master. They can also fold – or even iron – clean clothes or act as security guards and trigger an alarm in the event of intrusion. Nevertheless, in almost all cases they are incredible “toys”, capable of grabbing all the attention at the biggest technology shows but at the moment still just prototypes that are not yet ready for the consumer market, or projects that require financing. Even if, by all accounts, things are about to change.
Artificial intelligence and social robots
In fact, according to technology experts, 2018 looks set to be a positive year for everything connected with artificial intelligence: in all likelihood, this (together with the increasing availability of more economical components) will give new impetus to the domestic robot market. It is important to remember that the mechanical parts required for the joints (motors and high-precision connections) are still very dear, while the spread of robots that are less dynamic but expressive and able to interact in some way with human beings is proving to be a viable option.
The direction we are moving in is therefore the creation of machines that not only have the mobility or dexterity of humans but which are also equipped with TV cameras, displays, microphones and speakers that enable us to communicate with them across the board. The missing link between us and them essentially becomes their social ability, something that would allow them to become an integral part of our families. Machines of this type are called social robots for a reason.
They have incredible potential: increasingly personalised algorithms make them very reliable when helping children do their homework, for example. They can help somebody who is ill, putting them in contact with the doctor during an emergency or simply reminding them to take their medication every day. They can also keep people company, entertaining and helping the entire family, even the pets, by telling stories, playing music or dancing, and reminding them of appointments. In the meantime they can gradually get to know every member of the family and interact in a personalised way with each one. In short, those who thought that domestic robots would never be anything more than vacuum cleaners will have to think again. Should be fun.