ROBOTS

Robots are being evolved as though their goal is to reach the speed of light. Some of them are even designing themselves. At this point there can be little question of their usefulness in warfare. However, when I heard that they are being used to escort patients to their destination in a hospital ...(now putting volunteer candy stripers out of a job for a cost of millions of dollars, at least), I have to wonder if this is not just big boys playing with toys. However, just as 50 years ago people thought that auto racing was a waste of time and money, it turned out that it produced many life saving devices and equipment for non-racing drivers.

Robots have replaced many workers who were in danger of getting injured on the job. While they have replaced many humans on jobs, new jobs keep opening up for humans, as well. Somehow I don't think that mankind is destined to become the overweight, immobile hunks of humanity that were depicted in the movie Wall-E. Whenever there is a discussion of this kind, the slippery slope arguments get pulled out. They are as amusing as the tea-bag occurrence this past week. One man held up a placard as he demonstrated saying, "I just want things to go back as they were." Perhaps someone should tell him he will be able to do that once a time machine is invented and he can go back in time and stay there.

Ginger, a new family of Robots is used in hospitals and many health care facilities. There are courier and escort services which use the same base. In military use, they are often going into dangerous situations, thus saving soldier's lives. They will become more mobile and autonomous and will have an even higher profile in our daily lives than we currently have.

The Maker fair in Newcastle is an example of what people are trying to do for fun and education. For example, a relatively new field is that of the 3-D artist.

It is highly unlikely that man will be replaced by machine in the future, but there is a far bigger place for Robots to settle in than one might have dared imagine a decade ago.