John Larkin said:
Robotics is a silly fad that college kids like to play with. I guess
the professors figure it will capture their interest.
Some things, like industrial welding machines and machining centers,
are useful robots. And the things that crawl through pipes and gun
down bad guys. But most robotic gadgets are just silly. Read some old
Popular Mechanics mags from the 1950's or so if you want to see the
state of the art in robotics and especially robotics journalism; it
hasn't changed much. Seriously.
Not disagree a lot with your general thrust but the answer to this
question depends a lot on how you define a Robot.
Human form helpers and companions don't appear to be much closer than
they were decades ago, although then can walk better.
If your definition of robots allows industrial welding robots and pipe
inpection robots though things look a little different. Certainly
industrial robots have improved steadily in capacity and capability.
And if you include welding robots I think you would have to include CNCs
and AGVs both of which have improved quite a bit. AGVs are now capable
of running without guidance tracks as a for instance.
On the line of Robot capability we seem to be somewhere between
Heinlen's Waldos and Asimov's three laws.
Svante, come up with a definition of what you mean by robot. Pointers
are likely to be a lot more useful then.
Robert
