T32 GROUP2

Team Members

 * Dominic Paul Tweed
 * Melissa Ng
 * Amani Nader Al-Saidi
 * James Frederick Blom

Technology and Issue
Technology: Robotics Issue: The morals which confront the use of artificial intelligence.

Introduction
Robotics, the combination of both science fiction and the latest technology of the twenty first century, is becoming a major field in today's technological world. Although originating from the world of "sci fi" movies and fantasies, modern technology has allowed for such fiction to become reality. From basic humanoid entertainment robots to complex androids, today's technology is continually expanding all the possiblities within the robotic industry. However, with the latest achievement of the "android", ethic and moral issues regarding over-reliance and the possible creation of life come into question and controversies are formed.

Argument
Like most technology, the rapid development of robotics has provided several advantages with regards to efficiency for industries as well as private house holds around the world. Private markets have been able to benifit from the incredible speeds that robots can operate at and the entertainment that robotics provide has allowed toy companies to market new products based on robotic properties.

Although the use of robotics and the continual development within this industry is fascinating and exciting, debates and controversies have formed along side this development. One of the many arguments involve the availability of jobs as robotics and technology continue to advance, specifically to the point in which androids become widely used by private markets. With any introduction to useful machinery there is replacement for some sort of human input as the use of machines is both cheaper and more efficent than the employment of workers. Therefore, as the robotics become more and more advanced to the point in which an android may be used to replace a human, the amount of available jobs may be reduced significantly. Another argument involves the controversy over the potential creation of life within an android. Many science fiction movies(and books)such as: "Artificial Intelligence: AI" directed by Steven Spielburg in 2001 and "I, Robot" directed by Alex Proyas in 2004, depict the extreme possiblity that the power of technology could one day grant android life. If life is ever created within an android, several ethic and moral questions are challenged as it becomes difficult to classify an android as either a life form or machinery.

What are Robotics?
 Robotics is the study and mechanical engeneering of robots; an electro-mechanical agent. It is a science that includes their design, manufacture and application within today's world. The study of robotics also encompasses the development of the software that is the core behind the way a robot functions.  Although the field of robotics has existed for hundreds of years, it is only recently that technology has become advanced enough to allow scientists to develop useful robotic machinery. Artists including Leonardo Da Vinci, Mary Shelly (creator of Frankenstein), and Karel Capek (writer of the Czech play "R.U.R.") are all early visionaries that have in some medium depicted their visions of robotic machinery.



The History Behind Robotics
The first model to bring robotics from fantasy to reality dates back to 1738, with Jacques de Vaucansons duck creation. The scientist from Grenoble France was responsible for the first robot, and got his ideas from the marionette (string puppet) that emerged in 1600. Vaucansons duck was able to move and flap its wings on its own through steam power. From that point on people became largely intrigued with the ideas of robotics, and fantasy robot stories began surfacing. The writer of I-Robot, Issac Assimov, created three rules when people started fearing robotic take over. These three rules are still closely followed and state that a robot must never injure a human, obey orders, and protect its own existence while following the other two rules. The next big step came in 1966 with the creation of Shakey who was created and designed by the Stanford Research Institute. Shakey was the first mobile robot ever built and was able to react to its own actions. A year later a computer program was written that was able to react to human interaction. The most notable was Big Blue which was a chess simulator and at the most difficult settings was able to defeat the world champion of chess! Richard Greenblatt was the designer of the program and his methods are still found in the basic principles behind modern computer programs. In 1981 a robotic arm was built that was direct drive and had individual motors attached directly into the joints of the arm. Takeo Kanades design of the robotic arm intrigued Honda, and in 1986 they implemented a similar robotic arm that was used to do the dangerous work on automobiles. In 1998 robots were finally able to interact in society with Tiger’s ever so popular Furby, which brings us to modern day robotics and the creation of ASIMO. Honda has done the unthinkable with their creation of ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility that can perform numerous tasks just like human. ASIMO is able to recognize moving objects, gestures, environmental recognition, and can identify sounds and faces through a built in camera. From string puppets to fully functional robots one must wonder what the future in robotics holds for us humans.

The Android and Humanoid Robots
An android is a robot that is designed specifically to resemble a human in both physical and behaviour aspects. Although today's technology is still not advanced enough to produce the ideal androids depicted in science fiction movies, humanoid robots are now in existence. Humaniod Robots are robots which have an appearance resembling that of a human. Their general characteristics include: a torso, a head, two arms and two legs. Although the term "Android" refers Humanoid Robots resembling the male sex and the term "Gynoid" refers to their female counterparts, the "Android" term is often used in reference to both sexes.

Android Developments
The world's first android, DER 01, was revealed to the world at the Expo 2005 in Aichi Prefecture, Japan in 2005. Developed by a Japanese research group, DER 01 was developed to looks like a young, beautiful Japanese woman. Although this was a great success, quick improvements were made to DER 01 in 2006, and the new and improved android, DER 2 was revealed. This new android was a vast improvement as it had 47 mobile points and was able to change it's expression and move its limbs with very fluid and quick movements. Once programmed, DER 2 is able to control her motions and gestures through the use of her voice.

Japanese research groups had been developing android parts and technology much before this first revelation. Saya, an android head was developed and revealed in the Robodex 2002 in Yokohama, Japan. Saya has a very wide vocabulary, and now works at the Science Universtiy of Tokyo as a guide.

Although Japan was the first to develop and reveal such technology, Korea wasn't far behind. The development of EveR-2, the first android in the world with the ability to sing, put Korea on the android technology map. This new android's whole body was made with advanced jelly silicon with over 60 artificial joints. Equipped with a vocabulary of approximately 400 words, speech recognition and face recognition technology, EveR-2 is an android matching the apperance of a young Korean woman in her 20's, and can sing and dance at the same time.

Benefits
Robots and Androids continue to contribute more to modern society as they become more advanced. Compared to a human, a robot can do tasks faster, more precisely and with better consistency. This ultimately results in a better final product. Dangerous jobs such as lifting or moving heavy objects, handling dangerous materials or preforming repetitive tasks that promote complacency can be done by robots that don't tire or need breaks. In this sense the robot is minimizing workplace accidents and injuries and in turn saving time and money. Robotics have made vast improvements and opened up new possibilities in areas like Surgery, exploration, Hazard Detection and many other areas.

Development in Artificial Intelligence has lead to robots with the capacity to learn. This means a robot or Android is able to learn complicated procedures and tasks, which it can then repeat a potentially infinite number of times perfectly. Although robots are taking the place of workers in factories and industry, more skilled jobs are opening up for programmers, development researchers and supervisors. A robot or android that doesn't need constant control from a person frees people up to do more important tasks.

A recent article in the New York Times suggests that intelligent robots "...can behave more ethically in the battlefield than humans currently can,". They lack fear, anger and recklessness that can impact soldiers reactions in battlefield situations. The technology for autonomous robots exists but is not yet in use. Currently in the battle field robots are used as mine detectors and sensing devices controlled directly by humans.

Drawbacks


Robotics Replacing Humans

Over the past 20 years robotics have had a big role in replacing humans in the work area.Mitsubishi Cmmercial. The internet has replaced the amount of staff needed at a library, Self chek outs at stores have replaced the amount of cashiers needed, and in big factories there are countless amounts of machines that move and package products replacing the jobs humans once had. At the rate we are going it might only be a matter of time until robitcs and new technology can replace a wide margin of human jobs.

Like any automatic machinery robots can hurt people. If not equipped with preventative sensory equipment or handled by unexperienced persons robots can be dangerous. There is also the risk of people intentionally using robots for evil purposes as seen in a variety of modern movies.

With the invention of the new Androids which are more life like, and display emotions we might soon see robotics replacing human jobs we would have never thought possible. We may soon be living in the times of the "Futurama" where robots live amoung us and are classified the same as humans, ultimitly replacing the needs of humans in the workplace. The possibility of robots or androids taking away from normal healthy social interaction must also be entertained. When faced with the option of having a human friend, with whom your bound to disagree on at less some things, versus an android with whom you can always agree and control people may become less social and more introverted with the robot friend. This could lead to a widespread sociological problem.

Conclusion
Although the advancment of robotics and the creation of human resembling androids is a giant step for science and a huge advancement for the human race it could also be the human races downfall. With the creation of androids that can act, work, and look like us they could one day replace us in the workforce and be aswell as more efficient. Although jobs are created in the makings and testing of these robotics, they are no where near the amount of jobs that will be lost in factories, restauants, and warehouses. Machines will soon have the capacity to make ethical judgments, which poses a huge moral question. Should we let machines make ethical judgements?