As the years went by and technology advanced, the use of robots and machines have been used for many purposes. Many machines can do tasks no human could possibly do and industry wouldn't be the same without them. They provide great service and perform to a very high standard, if manufactured properly. Nearly every modern household or industry uses some form of technology. In this essay, I will be going over if using robots is better than humans in everyday life.
Robotics is the design, making and use of robots. Robotics includes the use of computer science, artificial intelligence, electronics, mechatronics and bioengineering. Robotics date as far back as 3000 BC. Egyptian water clocks had human figurines to hit the hour bells. Another example would be in 400 BC, where Archytas of Tarentum created a wooden pigeon that could fly. The first actual kind of robotics were invented in the 1950’s by George C. Devol, who invented a reprogrammable manipulator called ‘Unimate’. Many modern industries like NASA use robotics. They use robotic arms to carry large objects in space. Another way NASA use robotics would be using space rovers to travel along undiscovered planets and explore its terrain for scientific research.
The Advantages of Using Robots in Everyday Life/Work
Robots provide great service for many industries and have a lot of benefits:
Being safe. Unlike humans, robots have the ability to lift incredibly heavy things with ease (if manufactured correctly). Accidents and injuries of workers or civilians will be reduced because of this.
Efficiency. Since robots do not have an imagination or a creative mind (in present day anyway) they do not become distracted. This results in a faster work rate and less time wasted.
Reliability. If powered correctly, a machine/robot can work for a very long period of time. This results in them being consistent and reliable. Humans cannot work forever and tend to get tired when working, so by using robotics it will ensure work is done properly and is a constant flow.
Perfecting work. Because robots are made to perfection, the possibility of failure is low. Therefore, there is a better chance of completing tasks without any problems by using robots rather than using humans.
Creating jobs for people: Even though robots substitute the use of manual work, they don't fully put humans out of business. People can get work by manufacturing and supervising them. This keeps them interested in staying in that industry and motivated to work hard for pay.
Positive employees. Since robots handle difficult tasks, it puts less work on humans and reduces stress. This creates a positive environment and a functioning workspace where humans and machines can work fluently.
Dangerous environments. Because robots do not require oxygen or food and can be modified, they can withstand any environment if built with the right equipment. For example, humans cannot work in space without a functioning space suit, so doing work there would be incredibly difficult. However, this job is perfect for robots as they don't need a space suit and aren't affected by the hazardous environment of space. This helps industries like NASA complete the work needed to be done without fatal injuries or accidents.
The Disadvantages of Using Robots
Robots aren't always flawless and perfect. There are also some downsides to using them.
Failure. Robots are made to perform without failure and to a high level, however, this isn't the case all the time. If machines aren't made correctly, it can lead to massive consequences. For example, if robots are used to perform a surgery, they need to be precise and perfect. If a certain part of the system fails, it could result in the patient losing his/her life.
Job loss. Even though robots open up new job opportunities for highly educated people, it also results in the people who previously worked in the manual labor part out of business. Because robots can complete various different tasks so efficiently, there is no need for humans to complete the work.
Unexpected situations. Since robots are programmed to do certain tasks, when unplanned situations occur, they cannot complete them. This can result in the situation becoming even worse and more chaotic.
Expensive for industry: Robots certainly aren't cheap and require a lot of money to pay for them. Paying for machinery can be difficult for an industry and puts pressure on them.
Employing people. Because today’s robots cannot think for themselves, they need people to program/manufacture them. This requires highly skilled and intelligent people to do this and can lead to extra cost for an industry.
Emotionless workspace. Having a positive and enjoyable work environment is very important for every industry, as it encourages people to come to work and creates a bond between workers. However, robots do not have emotions or an imagination, so work is typically unenjoyable and boring for people, which could possibly demotivate them and prevent them from going to work.
Conclusion
In my opinion, I think the use of robots in everyday use is great. The fact that we can rely on machinery to do difficult tasks with ease, efficiency and without failure is amazing and should be used in every industry, I think. However, these robots/machines do have flaws like I previously mentioned, that could massively affect an industry if these robots fail to operate properly. What I think every industry should do for these situations, is to have a balanced mix of robots and manual labor. Manual labor will be used for small tasks (arranging food products) or jobs that need the human mind (surgery), and robots will be used for dangerous tasks (construction) or precise tasks (arranging computer components). Having this system will ensure that people remain employed (both manual labor workers and robotic workers) and if anything does go wrong there, there will be people there to help out with the situation.
References
https://www.roboticstomorrow.com/story/2018/08/7-advantages-of-robots-in-the-workplace/12342/
https://www.zippia.com/employer/the-pros-and-cons-of-having-robots-in-the-workplace/
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what_is_robotics_58.html
https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/robotics
https://www.online-sciences.com/robotics/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-robots-in-our-life/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KNXxMkn2fMi2g7qRi5TNzwNcUDiYVM97SwxrFVtmmC8/edit
https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/projects/1998-99/robotics/history.html