[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4Cast #739: Robot overlords? Not yet, but robots continue to integrate into human society

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OPLIN 4Cast #739: Robot overlords? Not yet, but robots continue to
integrate into human society
February 24th, 2021

[image: robotic hand] "I, for one, welcome our robot overlords
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrpN4zu_IrM>."

This is a line used by many of the geek persuasion, any time that
significant strides are made in robotics. While the statement is made in
jest, it underlies an inherent understanding that robots will, in fact, be
running the world some day. But "some day" always seems far off and not
likely within our own lifetimes...and then we see the news, and we wonder
if that day isn't really all that far off.

   -
   - Travelers at Philadelphia International Airport can now get food
   delivered – by a robot
   <https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2021/02/22/phl-pilots-gita-robot-food-delivery-to-travelers.html>
   [Philadelphia Business Journal] "Gita pairs to, follows and reacts to its
   user's actions without GPS, and functions both indoors and outdoors. Using
   computer sensor visitation, the robot takes in information in
   pedestrian-dense environments to effectively adapt to its surroundings in
   real time, according to Piaggio Fast Forward. The company’s overall vision
   is to help cities move toward sustainable mobility, where transportation
   becomes more active and less car-focused."
   - Robots evolve to take on more complex tasks in bakeries
   <https://www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/53060-robots-evolve-to-take-on-more-complex-tasks-in-bakeries>[BakingBusiness.com]
   "“Much of what drives the increasing use of robotics is the inability to
   find enough skilled people to staff bakery lines,” observed Craig Souser,
   president, JLS Automation. The current pandemic makes this situation even
   worse."
   - FDA clears two surgical robots focused on imaging, spine
   <https://www.beckersspine.com/orthopedic-a-spine-device-a-implant-news/item/51190-fda-clears-two-surgical-robots-focused-on-imaging-spine.html>
   [Becker's Spine Review] "The company believes the Loop-X is the first fully
   robotic intraoperative imaging device on the market, while the Cirq robotic
   alignment module assists surgeons during spine procedures."
   - Will robots make good friends? Scientists are already starting to
   find out
   <https://theconversation.com/will-robots-make-good-friends-scientists-are-already-starting-to-find-out-154034>
   [The Conversation] "My colleague and I identified some potential risks –
   like the abandonment of human friends for robotic ones – but we also found
   several scenarios where robotic companionship can constructively augment
   people’s lives, leading to friendships that are directly comparable to
   human-to-human relationships."

*From the Ohio Web Library <http://ohioweblibrary.org>:*

   - Personal robots help reduce isolation, boost engagement during the
   pandemic and beyond
   <https://oplin.org/auth/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebscohost.com%2Flogin.aspx%3Fdirect%3Dtrue%26db%3Dcmh%26AN%3D147132817%26site%3Dehost-live>
   (Larkin, M. (2020). Personal robots help reduce isolation, boost engagement
   during the pandemic and beyond. *Journal on Active Aging*, *19*(5),
   36–39.)
   - Softening Up Robots: Giving robots soft, artificial skin would enable
   them to work more closely with people
   <https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=147082999&site=ehost-live>
   (Shein, E. (2020). Softening Up Robots: Giving robots soft, artificial skin
   would enable them to work more closely with people. *Communications of
   the ACM*, *63*(12), 12–14.)
   - When the Servers are Robots
   <https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=144910730&site=ehost-live>
   (When the Servers Are Robots. (2020). *Harvard Business Review*, *98*(5),
   22–24.)

------------------------------
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