Robots gaining popularity in Catalan homes A helping hand
Robotics has progressed greatly in recent years and the use of androids is growing in industry as well as providing a possible solution for the challenges presented by aging populations in technology-savvy countries like Japan
Domestic robotics in Catalonia are no longer something of the future; they are already here. The automated Roomba vacuum cleaner has won supporters for its effectiveness. They take up little space and with the simple press of a button clean the floor thoroughly, avoiding all obstacles and, if needed, making several passes over tougher areas. Then, all on their own, they return to their base to charge as many times as needed and can be programmed to do their job when we are out. The US company iRobot, a pioneer in the industry and that has subsequently seen their product copied by other firms, proudly says that Spain leads the world in welcoming Roomba into its homes.
“One of the major challenges of robotics, specifically in the field of home consumption, is to increase the credibility and effectiveness of robots, and especially so in the area of robots dedicated to cleaning tasks. Gradually, consumers are realising that they can rely on domestic robots to fulfill that promise,” said Colin Angle, CEO and founder of iRobot. The most advanced model the company has incorporates a smart navigation system and regulates the cleaning power depending on the level of the dirt it detects. Connected by Wi-Fi, it can be activated from anywhere by mobile phone, or scheduled to clean up to seven times a week. The next step, linking to the Internet of Things, is for it to detect when we are not around so it can just get on with its job.
They are white, immaculate and shiny. They are always wearing a smile and are willing to help us to without a word of complaint. The first time you are faced with one, inevitably you feel as nervous as a child, or at least a little uncertain. “Is this the future? Will it work? Or is it a joke and someone is secretly filming me?“ But once everything is running smoothly it becomes a comfortable relationship. Too comfortable, in some cases. Robot androids are increasingly becoming perfect: we found a place for them in industry and now, suddenly, they seem to be knocking on the doors of our very homes.
One of the most interesting aspects of androids has always been the ability to emulate human behaviour. In our environment, so far we have mainly seen them in action at technology fairs and little else. In Japan, however, there are shops and even banks which have begun to use them in some dealings with the public. Obviously, their main use is in industry, where they are able to perform repeated mechanical tasks far more accurately than humans, and without the physical exhaustion and psychological stress that entails. Their development in this field has been extremely rapid and Barcelona recently welcomed, Yumi, an android that can work side by side with humans, without being tethered for security reasons. Yumi's programming is simple: just pick it up and move it so it learns that this is the action it needs to emulate repeatedly.
A few weeks ago, the IREX trade fair took place in Tokyo, an international robotics exhibition showing the latest developments in the industry. Although the majority of the exhibitors involved industrial machinery (approximately 70%), what attracted more attention for their novelty were small, interactive robot androids designed for domestic use. Perhaps what drew most attention was the innovative RoBoHon, from consumer electronics manufacturer, Sharp. It is a robot that is 19.5 centimetres tall and weighing 390 grammes, and it works just like a smartphone. Among its unique abilities is taking pictures that are then projected on to flat surfaces, such as a wall or a table, but what might be more useful is its ability to read and write emails at the request of the user through voice commands. Of course, as any good robot should, RoBoHon is able to remember the faces of the people who register with the front camera and then address them by name. Although originally designed for the Japanese market to be commercialised in the first half of 2016, given the interest that has been sparked worldwide, Sharp is now considering exporting it to other countries.
The most advanced and iconic android of all, however, is still Pepper. In fact, so much so that this creation of the Japanese telecommunications giant, Softbank, was even given the job of visitor reception at other companies' robotics displays. According to its creators, Pepper is the first humanoid designed to live with humans: “It might seem disappointing, as it doesn't clean, cook or have any super-powers, but Pepper is a social robot able to converse with humans, recognise emotions and react, as well as move and live independently. Charming and friendly, it is much more than a robot: it is a partner ready to communicate with you with the most intuitive interface that we know of, using voice, touch and emotion,” the makers explain.
But apart from the entertainment market, there are other areas where the development of androids can play a very important role, such as in home care and assistance in health centres. Also, the Japanese firm, Panasonic, which in recent years has boosted the business of provision for intelligent homes, recently presented Hospi, a cylindrical robot with a monitor instead of a face that generally draws a big smile. The function of this automaton is to distribute medicines and it is already being used in hospitals in Japan and Singapore.
Other fields
However, the field of robotics is not only attracting technology and telecommunications companies. The car industry has also joined in, with Toyota Partner Robot, an android that can reach 1.35 metres and weighs 37 kilos that can pick up and transport small objects and perform simple tasks, such as dusting flat surfaces with a cloth. Orders are given using an application installed on a tablet and it was designed to assist people who are ill or disabled.
In an aging, technological society like Japan, it is not surprising that one of the most important applications of robots is as a resource in the care and service industries. Currently, more than a quarter of Japan's population is over 65, a proportion that will near 40% in 2060. The Japanese government and domestic industry are investing in the field as one of the possible solutions to the demographic problems of the country, which threaten to cause a shortage of labour and become a burden on the economy. After Japan, China, the US and South Korea are the countries that have invested the most in such technologies.
This is the first step, because there will be many other professional areas that gain from (or give in to) the effects of automation. According to the forecasts from Japan's Nomura Research Institute study centre and the University of Oxford, robots and artificial intelligence systems will be able to do almost half of the jobs needed in Japan by 2030. The statistics are based on about 600 jobs and an estimate of anticipated technological developments, as well as the degree of creativity and specific knowledge required by employees. The study also investigated the case of the United States, where 47% of jobs are at risk, and the United Kingdom, where the figure is significantly lower (35%). This could turn out to be one of the most negative effects of the emergence of these technologies.
Learning just like humans
A group of scientists has recently developed a new computer model that mimics the way humans learn new concepts, something that is considered a crucial step in the developing field of artificial intelligence. So far, the main difference between one and the other is that computers need a much larger number of examples to be able to understand all the variables and to acquire new concepts. While human abilities highlight “speed” and “diversity” in acquiring new knowledge and applying it to new situations, “for computers, it is much more difficult for them to generalise from individual samples,” says Brenden Lake, a researcher from New York University and the lead author of the paper announcing the discovery, which was published in the journal Science.
Researchers focused on learning handwritten characters from various alphabets, and then developed an algorithm that would make generalisations based on “fewer examples”. Comparing the ability of these new computers to confront learning tasks, among these generating examples of characters seen only on a few occasions, with other computers and humans, it became clear that these new computers clearly exceed conventional computers and equalled human beings to the point that, in many cases, the results of this new human cognitive model were “virtually indistinguishable.”
Looking to “benefit humanity”
A number of Silicon Valley heavyweights, with Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk at the forefront, have recently agreed to set up a research centre to promote the beneficial aspects of artificial intelligence. It is called Open AI and focuses on researching the “positive impact for humans”. In their mission statement the founders say: “Our goal is to advance artificial intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, without being held back by the necessity of a financial return.” Those behind the platform have pledged billions of dollars in funding, although only “a small part” should be used in the early years. Besides Elon Musk, among the original proponents are Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn, Peter Thiel, a respected investor in technology and one of the first to back Facebook, and various executives of Y Combinator, one of the largest supporters of Silicon Valley projects and companies.