BRIAS selected the topic of “Sustainable Robotics” for its 2023-2024 edition. As Robotic and Automated Devices become an integral part of our lives, it has become critical to understand if they can be truly durable and how they could optimally contribute to sustainability as a whole.
Five years ago, 93 countries agreed on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for Society. They address the global challenges, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, peace and justice.
Within ULB and VUB researchers have been actively working on understanding how Robotics could contribute to these SDGs. Many hopes have arisen. Social robots are under investigation since they could support social inclusion of individuals, in particular children with autism. Drones and automatic solutions are being developed for precision agriculture scenarios to reduce hunger and more sustainable agriculture. To lessen the burden on construction workers, new construction robots are developed.
However, doubts and concerns were also raised. The sustainable production of robots is a major challenge in itself, due to the need for rare-earth elements. Their disposal leads to the creation of challenging e-waste at the end of the life-cycle.
Robotics will have a great impact on our society/economy/environment and bring with them complex challenges. Hence robots have the potential to speed up progress towards these developmental goals or be an inhibitor for them. Some believe robots are showing us the way towards an utopia, whilst others predict doom-laden scenarios. Moreover, there are tensions and contradictions between the SDGs. This also reflects in applications of robots. The enablers or inhibitors are also connected to hopes and fears. But it is we humans who invent and create technology and we should have the power (and responsibility) to shape our own future.
For three years we developed an ad-hoc interdisciplinary collaboration between different research fields, experts with affiliations from universities, the industry, and government - diverse in gender and geographical zones. This project took several actions with the community, summarized on www.sustainable robotics.org.
The BRIAS project will allow our experts in Robotics, Control, Automation to go further, and achieve a dream: bringing together experts from across the world to tackle critical debates (from Food to War), explore challenges for the present and future challenges (from sustainable materials to life-cycle assessments).
BRIAS ilichagua mada ya "Robotiki endelevu" kwa toleo lake la 2023-2024. Kama vifaa vya roboti na automatiska vinakuwa sehemu muhimu ya maisha yetu, imekuwa muhimu kuelewa ikiwa zinaweza kuwa na kudumu na jinsi vinavyoweza kuchangia kwa ufanisi uendelevu kwa ujumla. Mwaka jana, nchi 93 zilikubaliana juu ya malengo ya maendeleo endelevu ya Umoja wa Mataifa (SDGs), ambayo ni ramani ya kufikia siku zijazo bora na endelevu zaidi kwa jamii. Mikataba hiyo inazungumzia changamoto za kimataifa, ikiwa ni pamoja na zile zinazohusiana na umaskini, ukosefu wa usawa, hali ya hewa, uharibifu wa mazingira, ustawi, amani na haki. Katika ULB na VUB watafiti wamekuwa wakifanya kazi kwa bidii kuelewa jinsi Robotics inaweza kuchangia SDGs hizi. Matumaini mengi yameibuka. Roboti za kijamii zinachunguzwa kwa sababu zinaweza kusaidia ujumuishaji wa kijamii wa watu, haswa watoto wenye ugonjwa wa akili. Drones na ufumbuzi wa moja kwa moja unabuniwa kwa ajili ya matukio ya kilimo cha usahihi ili kupunguza njaa na kilimo endelevu zaidi. Ili kupunguza mzigo wa wafanyakazi wa ujenzi, roboti mpya za ujenzi zinatengenezwa. Hata hivyo, mashaka na wasiwasi pia ulizungumziwa. Uzalishaji endelevu wa roboti ni changamoto kubwa yenyewe, kutokana na haja ya elementi za ardhi nadra. Utoaji wao husababisha uundaji wa taka za elektroniki zenye changamoto mwishoni mwa mzunguko wa maisha. Robotics itakuwa na athari kubwa juu ya jamii yetu, uchumi na mazingira na kuleta changamoto ngumu. Kwa hiyo roboti zina uwezo wa kuharakisha maendeleo kuelekea malengo haya ya maendeleo au kuwa kizuizi kwa ajili yao. Wengine wanaamini kwamba roboti zinatuonyesha njia ya kufikia utopia, huku wengine wakitabiri matukio yenye kuangamiza. Kwa kuongezea, kuna mvutano na utata kati ya SDGs. Jambo hilo linaonekana pia katika matumizi ya roboti. Vifaa vya kuwezesha au kuzuia pia vinahusiana na matumaini na hofu. Lakini ni sisi wanadamu ambao tunabuni na kuunda teknolojia na tunapaswa kuwa na nguvu (na jukumu) la kuunda siku zijazo zetu wenyewe. Kwa miaka mitatu tulitengeneza ushirikiano wa ad-hoc wa kitaaluma kati ya nyanja tofauti za utafiti, wataalamu wenye ushirika kutoka vyuo vikuu, tasnia, na serikali - tofauti katika jinsia na maeneo ya kijiografia. Mfumo huu ulichukua hatua kadhaa na jamii, zilizofupishwa kwenye www.sustainablerobotics.org. Mradi wa BRIAS utawezesha wataalamu wetu katika Robotics, Udhibiti, Automation kwenda zaidi na kufikia ndoto: kuleta pamoja wataalamu kutoka duniani kote kushughulikia mjadala muhimu (kutoka Chakula hadi Vita), kuchunguza changamoto kwa changamoto za sasa na za baadaye (kutoka vifaa endelevu hadi tathmini ya mzunguko wa maisha).