
first image
l:
the robonaut (NASA) r: NASA robot
the robo sapiens promise huge benefits to soceity:
- the military wants them to shoulder a soldier's burden.
they fearlessly tack dangerous work like defusing bombs.
they can clean up waste sites, because they sneer at radioactivity
and toxic chemicals.
- the nasa use the 'nomads' to explore mars,
on a venture into the crats of volcanos in alaska and antartica.
the next generation of spacewalker could fix faulty satellites
and space stations. the metal humanoid known as robonaut
has developed an impressive level of dexterity.
within a few years similar robonauts could work outside the
confines of a spacecraft, performing routine maintenance
alongside astronauts.
- the japanese government wants them to help care for elderly people,
(soon it will be a social necessity: 25% of japan's population will
be over age 65 by 2005) toylike robots are already reminding senior
citizens to take medicine and keep appointments.
in japan service robots will deliver hospital food trays
( by 2002 some 11 000 service robots will be employed,
65 % in hospitals and nursing homes).
germans frauenhofer institut has developed 'care-o-bot', which help
elderly and infirm people to maintain independent lifestyles.
they can guide people who are unsteady on their feet...
- they can offer virtouso entertainment, recording the passing years,
singing and dancing, telling multimedia stories...
- following in the toy's wake they could be all manner of household
robots, from 'dogs' to 'vacuum cleaners'.