Meet the Roboticist Working to Make Robots Help us Be More Human
\”She cooks, she cleans, and she still finds time to play ball with Elroy,\” George and Jane Jetsons’ six-and-a-half-year-old son. Rosie the Robot is a robot maid who takes care of household chores and serves as a friend and confidante to mother Jane. She lives in 2062, and was described as such in the 1960s animated series The Jetsons. Rosie, a sarcastic and funny nanny to Elroy and Judy is also a confidante and friend of mother Jane.
The Jetsons’ predictions for 2062 are now a reality. Video calls, smart watches and other technologies have been developed, but robots, as the ideal helper and friend of the 1960s who made life easier, still remain unrealized. Daniel Theobald, a roboticist who has worked for 25 years on creating robots to solve the most pressing issues in the world, is on a quest to do so. His mission is to help humans become more humane, not just make robots more human.
Vecna Robotics and Vecna Technology co-founder, Michael Vecna, tells a story about a client that came to him with concerns over their aging population. Vecna, one of the few modern robotics firms doing cutting-edge work, wanted to discuss creating robots that would take care of elderly people. Theobald said, \”I thought that was totally backwards. Why would we create robots that take care of people, but send our human workers to work in factories? Robots are best used for the mundane tasks. We need to do meaningful, real work such as taking care of our loved ones and each other. \”We should use technology to give ourselves more time to be humans, to do meaningful activities such as art, science and caring for the elderly.
Source:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/heatherwishartsmith/2023/01/03/meet-the-roboticist-working-to-make-robots-help-us-be-more-human/?sh=49f1b2d23c14
