This robot can fold the laundry! There’s a delivery robot that can bring packages directly to your front step! After more than a decade of research and development, there’s finally a robot that can walk up a flight of stairs and open a door! It’s easy to get excited about the advancements in robotics technologies; we sometimes forget how unimpressive some of these feats actually are.
Anything you can do I can do better
We marvel at the capabilities of robots, even when they do things that are relatively mundane for humans. Most children are folding fabric, carrying boxes, climbing stairs, and opening doors without much ceremony or fanfare. But the fact remains that these things are impressive for robots. It’s difficult to get robots to do things the way that humans do them.
Machines excel at working tirelessly, carrying out specific commands, doing things the exact same way every single time, lifting heavy loads, performing tasks quickly, and being cost effective and dependable.
However, they aren’t especially nimble, they don’t like unexpected variables, they can’t adapt to their situations, and they aren’t creative. They lack emotional intelligence, real intelligence, and problem-solving skills.
People and machines each have their own strengths and weaknesses.
Why do we get excited about a machine doing something like a human would do it?
Finally busting the robotic laundry roadblock will be a historic accomplishment, even though it’s an incredibly simple, and trivial, task for most people. The robots that are going to fold our laundry will use trays and conveyors to fold a load of laundry in a matter of minutes. Still, people would get way more excited about a pair of robotic arms that pick up clothes and fold them just like people do — only two to three times slower.
Maybe we like seeing lifeless machines made of metal and gears do things like us living breathing humans. Maybe it gives us hope for a walking, talking, thinking humanoid robot like we see in science fiction.
Manufacturing robots are truly amazing. Indramat industrial motion control systems provide unrivaled precision and reliability. But even the most impressive factory machines need some attention over time. We are trained professionals who specialize in Indramat motion control systems. Call 479-422-0390 for Indramat service and support.