Robots: The Thinking Machines of Tomorrow

A Term Paper in English II

Presented by: Mr. Mojahid A. Manapa-at BSECE 2008-0296

Presented to: Mrs. Paciencia Macabangin English II Professor

Robots: The Thinking Machines of Tomorrow

Topic: Robots: The Thinking Machines of Tomorrow Thesis Statement: Robots that resembles human beings actions brought not only great help to the environment, but also danger to the society.

I. II.

Introduction Definition of robot

A. Word history B. Laymen definition C. Based on International Organization for Standardization D. Based on Robotics Institute of America III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. How a robot brain works? Types of robots Uses of robots Consequences of robots to our human society Conclusion Bibliography

Mojahid A. Manapa-at

BSECE

First, Humanity had tools. Then we added force to them, and had the machine, now we are adding intelligence and will get robots. But why build robots, because they help us better than tools or machines to live more comfortably. Eventually, they will free us for all material worries. A robot is a computer program that has parts for each of its functions. It functions the same way that a biological brain does, only it performs this in an electronic way instead of by activating neurons. It has inputs and learns which outputs get the most approval by human beings. It stores experiences in its memory, generalizes them, and those can deal with new circumstances. Now, consider these words.
"How old are you?" she wanted to know. "Thirty-two," I said. "Then you don't remember a world without robots. To you, a robot is a robot. Gears and metal; electricity and positrons. Mind and iron! Human-made! If necessary, human-destroyed! But you haven't worked with them, so you don't know them. They're a cleaner better breed than we are."

These words are taken from I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov, a science fiction film set in a world where human and humanoid robots interact. It says that robots are wonderful creations that are mainly abused by human being. Humans dont recognize their importance. They dont know that these machines are special breed of generation even much better than human. Firstly, what makes a robot a robot? For many laymen, if a machine appears to be able to control its arms or limbs, and especially if it appears like a human being or an animal, it would be called a robot. One property of robot, the property or having an

Robots: The Thinking Machines of Tomorrow

intent or agency of its own is an important property when people are considering whether to call a machine a robot or just a machine. Let us consider these words of Rodney A. Brooks, the director of Artificial Intelligence Lab and The computer Science & and Artificial Intelligence Lab. He said, To me, what makes a robot a robot, and as with every definition you can poke it enough until it breaks, but for me it is something that senses the world in same way, does some sort of computation, deciding what to do, and then acts on the world outside itself as a result. Secondly, what will be the best robot? The best humanoid robots are those that have a somewhat human shape, size and weight; that can see and hear, and can learn most human activities. Thus they can be most useful in a human environment.

It is easy to understand the fascination of electronics engineers with robots walking on two feet. The brain has to do a lot more calculation to be able to efficiently effect locomotion and balance with just two legs than with, say, four (as with most land animals). To walk on two legs took thousands of year worth of evolution and turned human beings into the masters of this world. Apparently, moving on two legs maximizes the space human beings move around in, which is why UPs robotics expert Dr. Manuel Ramos says that the best kind of machine that can exist in the human environment must also be walking on two legs or be humanlike in form. Biped locomotion, a most useful technology toward making the most efficient machines, is therefore relentlessly pursued by many in the field of robotics.

Mojahid A. Manapa-at

BSECE

It is mentioned before the laymen definition of what a robot is. Now, let us consider a broader definition. But before that, let us first know about the word history of robot. Why is it called a robot?

Robot is a word that is both a coinage by an individual person and a borrowing. It has been in English since 1923 when the Czech writer Karel apek's play R.U.R. was translated into English and presented in London and New York. R.U.R., published in 1921, is an abbreviation of Rossum's Universal Robots; robot itself comes from Czech robota, servitude, forced labor, from rab, slave. The Slavic root behind robota is orb, from the Indo-European root *orbh, referring to separation from one's group or passing out of one sphere of ownership into another. This seems to be the sense that binds together its somewhat diverse group of derivatives, which includes Greek orphanos, orphan, Latin orbus, orphaned, and German Erbe, inheritance, in addition to the Slavic word for slave mentioned above. Czech robota is also similar to another German derivative of this root, namely Arbeit, work (its Middle High German form arabeit is even more like the Czech word). Arbeit may be descended from a word that meant slave labor, and later generalized to just labor. One definition of a robot is A mechanical device that sometimes resembles a human and is capable of performing a variety of often complex human tasks on command or by being programmed in advance. Another definition from en.wikipedia.org is that A robot is a virtual or mechanical artificial agent. In

Robots: The Thinking Machines of Tomorrow

practice, it is usually an electro-mechanical system which, by its appearance or movements, conveys a sense that it has intent or agency of its own. The International Organization for Standardization gives a definition of robot in ISO 8373: "an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose, manipulator programmable in three or more axes, which may be either fixed in place or mobile for use in industrial automation applications." This definition is used by the International Federation of Robotics, the European Robotics Research Network (EURON), and many national standards committees. The Robotics Institute of America (RIA) uses a broader definition: a robot is a "re-programmable multi-functional manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks". The RIA subdivides robots into four classes: devices that manipulate objects with manual control; automated devices that manipulate objects with predetermined cycles; programmable and servo-controlled robots with continuous point-to-point trajectories; robots of this last type which also acquire information from the environment and move intelligently in response. Can a robot really think? Since it performs the same functions and can have the same outputs, it really thinks, it is not simulating thought. Does such robot have free will? A robot needs a randomizing of its actions, so that it can learn better responses. You could call these randomized actions a kind of free will.

Here is how a robot brain works. The senses of the robot report information to the brain. Here the brain checks if it has a concept for the information that it receives.

Mojahid A. Manapa-at

BSECE

If not, it creates a composite concept that has as parts the various sense information. Then the brain builds up the present situation from these concepts. Now a different area of the brain checks in the memory, whether there is any response rule that is appropriate for this situation. It selects one of the appropriate response rules and sends the action part, also a concept, to the limbs which then do the action.

Asimo of Honda is considered the most advanced robot in the world. A humanoid that walks, climbs stairs, and even dances, it regales the audience and promotes the car manufacturer by imitating the way people move. While the machine may be regarded as no more than an expensive toy, it has the shape of the machines of the future. It is those that approximate the human form and perform tasks in ways no other form of machine can.

Asimo is an example a Humanoid Entertainment Robot. Aside from Humanoid Entertainment Robot, there are also other types of robots which they are classified according to their structures, appearances and the way they are used. Robots are mainly classified into eight types. Those other types or robots are the Androids, Animal Robot, Social Robots, Guard Robots, Domestic Robots, Mobility Robots and lastly, the Rescue Robots.

These robots are widely used in entertainment, manufacture, assembly and packing, transport, earth and space exploration, surgery, weaponry, laboratory research, and mass production of consumer and industrial goods.

Robots: The Thinking Machines of Tomorrow

Following is a great example of where robots are best to use with. There are so many ways where robots are used but this is just one of those.

A robot that can automatically track heavy oil floating on the sea surface from a tanker oil spill was developed by Osaka University professor, Mr. Naomi Kato. This robot is 2.7 meters long, cylindrical, and is equipped with four blades for propulsion and maintaining direction. It can move about the surface and under the sea freely, gathering information about the heavy oil's location and the site of the accident to accurately predict how it would travel. This would best help when there occurred a mass oil spill in Guimaras Island on August 11, 2006.

Robots had great help in the surrounding especially in the life of human. In opposite way, we cannot deny the fact that there are also consequences that robots brought to our society. Many factory jobs are now performed by robots. This has led to cheaper massproduced goods, including automobiles and electronics. Stationary manipulators used in factories have become the largest market for robots. The widespread use of robot will bring prosperity and wellbeing to the population of our planet. Robots, as intelligent automation and as advisor programs within computers, will do all the work that we do not wish to do. We will be free of material worries and will be able to enjoy life. But this is a new "industrial revolution" and the transition from a society based on work to one based on leisure has to be handled carefully. Widespread unemployment can be avoided by spreading the available work between all that are willing to work. The method is a reduction of weekly working hours. Finally work

Mojahid A. Manapa-at

BSECE

per week will be so low that a different means of income and maintaining purchasing power has to be found. This may be the "social dividend". Each citizen would be a shareholder of the state and receive a monthly dividend. The funds for this would come mainly from the profits of the robotized factories. The problem with most robots is that they tend to be, well, robotic. They know nothing they aren't programmed to know, and can do nothing they aren't programmed to do. But for many applications where robots could be useful, they need to be more like humans, able to respond as a cooperative partner rather than a mindless machine. Are robots a danger to humanity? A robot with a main objective of pleasing human beings is of great help, but a robot with a main objective of its own survival is very dangerous. Since they will be thinking much faster and more accurately than we, they will, for their own purposes use all available resources and we would be helpless. Such a robot should be illegal and should be destroyed as soon as detected. Fears and concerns about robots have been repeatedly expressed in a wide range of books and films. A common theme is the development of a master race of conscious and highly intelligent robots, motivated to take over or destroy the human race. Some fictional robots are programmed to kill and destroy; others gain superhuman intelligence and abilities by upgrading their own software and hardware. While there is no exact definition of what a robot is, for many basic understanding, they are somewhat that can perform tasks that are made by humans. They exist in different types depending on the ways they are used.

Robots: The Thinking Machines of Tomorrow

The best robot that would exist is the one that somewhat humanlike in form and is walking on just two legs. This type of robot would bring a great help to the environment. It will bring prosperity to mankind and make their life easier. Otherwise, these types of robots also brought danger. Robots would do all the work that we do not wish to do. We will be free of material worries and will be able to enjoy life. These are a great danger to us. To avoid such problems with robots, one must put limitations on using them.

Mojahid A. Manapa-at

BSECE

Bibliography

http://www.intelligent-systems.com.ar/intsyst/index.htm#Words http://www.intelligent-systems.com.ar/intsyst/artis.htm

http://www.intelligent-systems.com.ar/intsyst/artisBod.htm

http://www.answers.com/topic/robot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_robotics

http://www.aaai.org/AITopics/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/AITopics/Robots http://www.nowpublic.com/world/philippine-made-anti-terrorist-robot-closer-massproduction

http://www.up.edu.ph/upforum.php?i=110&archive=yes&yr=2005&mn=11

http://www.thinktheearth.net/thinkdaily/news/news-detail-557.shtml

Robots: The Thinking Machines of Tomorrow