Fortunately, many of us live in a society where we no longer lash out on “the help” if we are having a bad day. Instead, we will still tip our servers properly after rude or aloof service because we sympathize with him or her for having a bad day. Our society is becoming more human. Because of this, we don’t want to enlist people to do our dirty work. So why not make robots do the job?
To err is human, and that is what makes firing a staff member so difficult. Because of this, it makes more sense to prefer a robot to do your housekeeping. Claire Jones of stuff.co.nz claims that scientists predict that the humanoid robot with arms and legs will probably not be the maid of the future. Instead there will be an army of small household robots that are all programmed to do specific jobs. This will eliminate any guilt you might feel for placing so much responsibility on one human-like being.
The Roomba is not anything new, but the idea behind the household gadget is likely one that will be passed on to the domestic help of the future. It’s just easier to lift your feet up over a gadget that only stands at 3.6 inches in height. Not to mention, there are other things to do with your time than to vacuum all day. Romos are fairly new. They were designed with your iPhone (News - Alert) in mind. Romos can cruise around and take pictures, and all you need is a Romo app for your smartphone and the Romo, of course. Although the task doesn’t seem to be of any great significance, something tells me that you will wonder how you got along without it.
Apparently, sometimes the cost of a robot is better than delving out an annual salary with benefits. Administrators of the Governor Mifflin School District in Pennsylvania have found that employing a robot as opposed to hiring a custodian will save their taxpayers money. This robot won’t quit or slack on the job either. This industrious little sweeper/floor scrubber has a floor map of the school programmed into its body, so it can clean all day with little supervision.
Alas, there are still uncomfortable aspects about employing robots. Most significantly, what about the human being who once held that job position? It is easier to ease your conscience by arguing that there are other things he or she can do that would be much more fulfilling than scrubbing the floors of a middle school. And there will never be any real replacement for human-to-human interaction, right? Many people will probably still prefer to have their barista serve them their morning coffee than a robot that can’t pick up on a bad mood and do little things for you such as giving you the cup on the house. But the robot is still evolving.
Science News reports that the “social robot” is a project that is being developed to assist stroke patients with physical therapy and even teach children social behavior. The social robot picks up on cues like facial expressions and body language and is being programmed to have emotional reactions. Maybe this will work in this context, but I am certain that many people will not want an emotional reaction over selfish, household demands.
Julie Griffin has a B.A. in English from the University of Kentucky and covers technology news and communications related topics. Known best for her various web publications, Griffin also occasionally contributes to local press.Edited by
Tammy Wolf
