It’s hard enough for humans to decide on a career path and actually acquire a job in their field, but for some robots, their career paths have been chosen. These days they’re embarking on some journeies that we would never think robots would.
The artist
Researchers at Keio University in Japan have designed a robot that can be taught to copy an artist’s brush strokes. All the robot needs is a living artist whose gestures and pressure applications it can mimic. The artist must create an artwork using the brush placed in a mechanical hand. From that point, the robot memorizes the artist’s motions and becomes the next Picasso.
The team predicts that this same technology can be used in future applications of surgery and mechanics.
The sommelier
The Wall-Ye robot. (Image via Wall-Ye)
Well, this robot isn’t exactly a sommelier, but it can provide labor to vineyards in need. Wall-Ye V.I.N was developed by Christoph Millot and conducts typical vineyard chores such as pruning and de-suckering. Wall-Ye can also pick up information on soil conditions. It uses tracking technology, artificial intelligence, and a security system to prevent theft. Wall-Ye also comes equipped with a GPS, gyroscopes, and six cameras.
Instead of training and retraining employees to do the labor-intensive work, vintners can hire Wall-Ye for just $32,000.
The farmer
Farming robotic machine. (Image via Lely.com)
Farm chores can be rather grueling and time consuming. A Dutch manufacturing company, Lely, has developed dairy robots that have spread among farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The robots can milk cows, control food intake, and adjust the cows’ schedules accordingly. The 3,000-pound robot even includes a mechanical cow back-scratcher. The robots are smart too. They know when a milk hose is broken, when cleaning solution is needed, when a certain cow hasn’t been seen in a while, and alert the farmers when there is a problem that they can’t figure out.
Not only do they eliminate particular farm chores, but these robots can even reduce the risk of farming injury. The new farm technology can be purchased for about $150,000 per robot.
The butler
Robot cleaning out a dishwasher. (Image via Cornell University Personal Robotics Lab)
The concept of the robot butler is not new, but what about robots that can balance trays without dropping them or robots that can tidy up after you?
A company called Willow Garage has developed a personalized robot, PR2, and has now made new advancements in its balancing capabilities that allow it to handle objects on a tray without spilling them.
Researchers at Cornell University’s Personal Robotics lab have trained robots to identify objects in a room, figure out where they belong, and then return them to their rightful positions.
Maybe one day we really will be waited on hand and foot by the robots.
The pharmacist
Robot working in the pharmacy. (Image via UCSF)
Last year, UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, CA, welcomed a team of robots to their pharmacy. The robots prepare oral and injectable medicines. In their first 350,000 doses, they made not one error in preparation. First, the pharmacy computers receive the medication orders. Then the robots pick the correct medications and either package them or dispense individual doses.
USCF’s goal in implementing the new pharmacist robots is to allow the pharmacists and nurses to focus primarily on patient care and to be able to dedicate more time to working closely with the physicians.■
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