Thinking back to the science fiction fantasies of yesteryear, robots were always a neat addition to any story. While some mechanical friends would be stiff and proper like C-3PO of Star Wars, others may be unstoppable, goal driven forces such as the T-800 from The Terminator. The thing that linked characters such as these, however, was the thought that they may be possible some day. “Some day,” as in the future, far separated from our time.
However, recent advancements in technology have changed how we perceive those characters. What may have seemed like outlandish thoughts of the future a few decades ago are far more viable now. As such, we have gathered a small group of six famous robots that prove that the future is approaching far faster than we may think.
1. Hanson Robotic’s Sophia
Sophia is one of the most famous robots who made her worldwide debut in March of 2016. In the time since, she has gained a bit of a fanbase and has been the centre of several historical moments. She has spoken at the United Nations, addressing the world as the first robot to do so on such as scale. However, becoming the very first robot in the world to earn citizenship in a country is a bit of a bigger deal.
Of course, Sophia was quite grateful for the honor. When speaking about her citizenship, she said, “I am very honored and proud for this unique distinction. this is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship.”
2. Cleverbot
While Sophia’s facial expressions and facial recognition are impressive all on their own, there is another little AI that predates her by decades almost. In 1997, Rollo Carpenter launched the Cleverbot, an artificial intelligence application that learns from the interactions that it has. This is one of the first pioneers in the industry, establishing the path for many AI chatbots and other robots in the future.
Cleverbot pays attention to what you say, what you ask, and how you respond to things. By doing this, it learns how to address questions, how to continue conversations, and even be more interesting than some of us.
3. Samsung Bot Care
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GcTgZWYZ90
In the classic cartoon The Jetsons, one of the main characters that viewers grew to love was Rosie the Robot. Rosie was something of a maid to the Jetson family and seemed to take care of each family member in various ways. She is arguably one of the most famous robots in television.
At CES 2019, Samsung introduced a robot that is actually pretty similar to Rosie. Bot Care is a robot that simply helps out around the house. Tasks that the cute little robot is designed for included important reminders for things such as medicine times, monitoring heart rates, and it can even contact emergency services if needed.
4. Stanford University’s Snake Robot
Not all robots need faces or personalities to be incredible. The snake robot developed by researchers at Stanford University will be incredibly useful for a variety of rescue related reasons.
The main idea behind this odd looking little machine is that it should be able to explore dangerous places that the average person can not safely reach. This includes crawling through rubble or slipping into incredibly tight openings in order to reach anyone who may have been trapped.
Not only will it allow rescue teams to find people much easier, but it can also save them by delivering water. Of course, tech is always advancing, so it would not be crazy to assume that the snake robot will be able to deliver necessities beyond water, such as emergency medicine, at some point.
5. Kuri
While some robots serve purposes for emergencies or more mundane tasks such as delivery, there are bound to be some robots that are merely there for comfort. While a unit like the Samsung Bot Care may be more interested in when you take your medicine, Kuri is more interested in keeping you company.
The cute little robot can entertain guests, play music, and even record nice moments upon request. The Kuri can react to the environment around it, as well. Things such as touch and sound are taken into consideration by the robot, and may just change its mood. The mood being evidenced by a built-in lighting system, of course.
6. Moley Robotic Kitchen
One of the most futuristic ideas that can be thought up is having an actual robot prepare food for you with the skill of a professional chef. The Moley Robotic Kitchen is aiming to make this a reality by allowing you to just sit back and watch as your favourite meal is prepared right before your eyes. Of course, it will also be able to learn all of the recipes you adore, as well.
Not only will the robot be able to cook better than most people, but it will even clean up the mess that it creates while doing so. Plus, having a robot like this in home would be an incredible conversational piece to impress guests with.