Exciting Times In Prosthetics - 60 Mins

 I do believe that technology is inching closer and closer to the true melding of man and machine.  I  imagine a time where we will be able to intertwine the best of both worlds (for better or for worse).  My utmost hope is a prosthetic that truly returns sensation and function will be achieved in my life time.  Take a look at this encouraging video from 60 Minutes.  We're almost there!

Promat 2023 - Convention Floor and Remote Op Fork Trucks!

 Well I was not able to attend this years Promat 2023(a premiere manufacturing/supply-chain exhibition show), but I did stumble across some convention floor footage provided by Robot Advisors on YouTube.  It just so happens that in this video they stopped by a very familiar company's booth, Vanderlande.  It's great to see the product/solutions on display.  One big highlight from the video is from a company called Phantom Auto.  They provide a solution that allows fork truck drivers to remotely pilot material handling equipment.  The real benefit here is by using a remote control setup it opens the doors for those under represented in the workforce such as people with physical disabilities.  I'm excited to see more from this vendor.  Check out the video below. 

 

Well That Was Fast - The Evolution of the Robot Dog

 Just when people were getting the hang of making 3d printed robot dogs at home, here comes a new addition on the design, a spine.  Check out this video that runs through a simulation of a Quadruped with an active spine and then shows the real-world robot in action.  

 

ROBOCUP, We're Almost There! - ARTEMIS Humanoid Robot

It's been a long time since I thought about RoboCup.  For those of you not familiar, RoboCup is an organization with the goal of having humans to compete against robots in a game of soccer by 2050.  After looking at this newly released video of UCLA's ARTEMIS robot, I'd say we are getting there.  I've been a fan of the RoboCup events since the beginning and have had the opportunity to attend some.  It's amazing to see all the teams with their different approaches to building a robot to play soccer against humans.  There used to be only one or two major players in the humanoid bi-pedal robot space, but now we have a plethora.  I'm glad to see UCLA making strides in their development.  Leave and comment and check out the video below.

  

Not If, But When...

 As humanity continues to barrel down this path of creating a robotic future, I can't help but to wonder how soon will calamity come?  I think back to a movie, The Animatrix, where there were autonomous robots that worked and operated among us. Then one day, a robot killed a human in defense of itself which set off a political and social firestorm.  This lead to violence against robots, with the robots ultimately winning the war against humans.  Although, this scenario is more than likely a ways out, I can imagine how a scenario like this might play out in the near future.  Autonomous robots are working along side of humans in warehouse distribution centers with both the humans and robots under harsh working conditions.  The robot, powered by a ChatGPT like engine, makes a decision that inadvertently causes the death of a worker.  This causes protests against the use of humanoid robots alongside people in warehousing.  Large companies use political pressure to try and squash the backlash because they want the "profit margins" gained by using autonomous humanoid robots to do the laborious  warehousing work.  Protests ensue, with robots in these distribution centers being destroyed by humans.  Law enforcement, equipped with their own semi-autonomous robots, are then routinely deployed against these protest and so it begins.  Ultimately, it won't be the robots themselves that want to conduct violence against humans, but the "owners" of those robots that have a vested interest in their labor to drive "profits".  It seems that no matter how much we raise the alarm and say that we want to prevent such things, we as humans, are incentivized to pursue mankind's own destruction.  

Now I watched this great video on current state of robots by ABC News (see below) and we are far from that events shown above, but what I do foresee happening in the near future are semi-autonomous ground vehicles and fully autonomous ones being used to kill .  So what's the purpose of this article?  It's really to remind us of a possible future scenario for mankind and to urge us to start putting in place safe guards so that we can have a better future outcome for the next generation.

What do you think will happen in the near future with regards to humanoid robotics being integrated into the work force?  Who do you believe will be affected the most?  Will this ultimately lead to social economic uprisings?  Leave a comment and let's discuss.  

It Takes Something Greater

 

What I’m about to state is something that I believe the general populous is subconsciously aware of but seldom acknowledges, that it always takes something greater to make what exists.  Really profound, right (insert laughing emoji)?   What I mean in simple terms is that in order to create the plastic spoon that you’re using and will ultimately throw away, it required an enormous time and financial investment.  The business person who had the idea, the designer and cad operator who made the models, the machinists who created the dies, the machine operator who oversaw the injection molding process, to packing distribution marketing etc.  All so we can enjoy a cup of soup with a plastic spoon. 

How or why is this important?  I recently watched this video (see below) on the breakthrough of fusion that took place last December.  What occurred to me (and is clearly conveyed in the video) is just how much effort it takes to generate an positive amount of energy from the fusion reaction.  It’s stated that it took roughly 2 units of energy (from the laser) to get out 3 units of energy from the fusion process.  It is later stated, paraphrasing, that the power needed to run the lasers was left out of the previous statement.  So in actuality, it took 302 units of energy to produce 3 units during fusion.  In order to output more energy with the current setup, the amount of energy required would need to be scaled up.  So at no time does the energy output exceed the energy input. 

So I’m of the opinion that whatever it is that I’m making, It will require more energy to create it than it will produce.  This begs the question, is there such a thing as net gain?  If so, then where exactly are the gains coming from?  When I think of this notion in context of business I have a suspicion that gains are ultimately extracted from the laborers, the quality of materials used, or user experience when it's a service .   

What are you thoughts on gains/profits that are claimed in the production of energy, products, or services?  Are the energy gains really produced from the processes as stated/claimed or is it really just smoke and mirrors?  Let a comment below or subscribe to the blog for more food for thought on engineering related subjects.    

Bing "AI" giving off the "Her" vibes.

Great, so now the chatbot AI's are beginning to prey on the users emotions.  Again, the race to incorporate AI's into our day to day lives is coming at us hard and fast with very little proper oversight.  Just wait until the conversation capabilities of Bing are married to the animatronic and motion capabilities of Ameca.  It's all downhill from there.

Here's a sample of the chat that the reporter had with Bing's AI.  It seems a bit troll-ish, but I can see this happening more often as it's use becomes more prevalent.  User beware!

Listen to this tech reporter's experience with Bing's chat AI.  

** Update 2-20-23**

Even the creator of ChatGPT wants/suggests more oversight. Read his comments here.

As always, leave a comment and let me know what you think about this race to the bottom.