Look back and wonder

Citation

Loughlin, C. (2006), "Look back and wonder", Industrial Robot, Vol. 33 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2006.04933caa.001

Look back and wonder

Look back and wonder

As our news extract from the RIA's RoboticsOnline web site makes clear, 2006 is shaping up to be a record breaking year for the robotics industry. This is of course excellent news although we must always remember that forecasts are what we do to keep the Gods amused.

It is also quite thought provoking to read not just the forecasts but also the ancillary benefits that are expected. In the whole scheme of things the robotics industry is still pretty small at roughly $5 billion per year as opposed to for example $24 billion for cat food. However, the important thing about robots is that they are just a tiny but important cog in the wheel of industry. For every robot that is purchased there is a much larger sum spent on the support hardware that feeds them work.

It is interesting to note that a major benefit frequently cited is that robots help make companies profitable and are also able to keep manufacturing operations in-house and so save local jobs. This is quite a turn-around from 30 years ago when salesmen talked (at least in public) of benefits such as reduced wastage and safety and neatly avoided issues such as manning levels because it was perceived that robots would actually take jobs away.

Our theme for this issue is the nuclear industry and teleoperation, and this highlights another area where robots have saved people's skins. The embarrassing legacy of our quest for cheap electricity has left us with clean-up problems that are bad enough as they are but which would be ten times worse if we did not have the technology to dispose of it at arms length.

It is well known that the affinity that the Japanese have for robots is often attributed to the successful 1950s comic strip character called Astroboy (Tetsuwan Atom in Japanese). This is the tale of a robot boy who lives by the law that orders robots to help mankind by doing what is good. In contrast, sometime later the current Governor of California terrorised the USA but later even he came good in “Terminator 2”.

Our relationship with robots has certainly been interesting but it is gratifying to see that these days, apart from the odd maverick Hollywood creation, robots are getting a good press. This is well deserved – they are not only saving jobs but also help saving lives in the operating room and show the promise of saving the quality of life as they help the elderly and infirm stay independent in their own homes.

If all the above comes across as a bit of “aren't we wonderful” self-congratulation for the industry then so be it. Sometimes it is good to look back and remind yourself just how far you have come.

Well done!

Clive Loughlin