/ News
Japanese robots earn their keep
It was not quite as memorable as “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” as uttered by Neil Armstrong in 1969. But the matter-of-fact statement was thrilling for the creators of a new breed of astronaut sent into space this summer: “On August 21 2013, a robot took one small step toward a brighter future for all.”
Kirobo – a combination of the Japanese words for “hope” and “robot” – is a machine with a difference: not only does it provide technical assistance, it is also designed to provide companionship to human astronauts who spend months working in space.
“I believe robots will be the next smartphone just like Google believes Google Glass will be the next smartphone,” says Kirobo’s creator, Tomotaka Takahashi, referring to the efforts made to enable the machine to hold basic conversations.
Kirobo was last month joined by Koichi Wakata, a Japanese astronaut, having travelled ahead to the International Space Station in an unmanned rocket which blasted off from a Japanese island this year.
Mr Takahashi, a robotics engineer at Tokyo university, was inspired by the manga character Astro Boy, a classic cartoon robot, and worked on the project in collaboration with Toyota and Dentsu, an advertising firm.
Kirobo has been programmed to communicate in Japanese and recognise voices and faces. He is capable of holding a conversation and improvising basic responses. On the more practical side, he is there to act as an observer and recorder, and can relay instructions verbally to Mr Wakata sent from earth. But despite the attention the project received and the high level of Japanese robotics expertise, other manufacturers are unlikely to follow suit, say those working in the industry.
“They don’t recognise space robotics as a big area for the business,” says Hiroki Kato, an engineer at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa). He says projects such as Kirobo make great PR – the little space companion generated headlines worldwide – but are not the basis for a sustained commercial programme unless they could earn their keep by performing a wide range of tasks.
Jaxa has created prototype robots sent into orbit on several missions for tasks such as refuelling and maintenance but is not currently working on a humanoid robot, although it has not ruled that prospect out. The US regards itself as leading the field.
“Japan has significant experience with its advanced robotics but only Robonaut [the first humanoid robot in space] has worked side by side with astronauts performing tasks that currently only humans perform,” says Ron Diftler, manager of the Robonaut project at Nasa.
Japanese roboticists have sometimes come under fire for making machines that entertain rather than pursuing serious engineering projects.
Honda’s Asimo robot, the “world’s most advanced humanoid robot” according to the carmaker, can walk like a human and is the size of a small adult. But it has usually made headlines for conducting’ symphony orchestras, performing dances and greeting royalty.
The March 2011 tsunami and subsequent Fukushima nuclear disaster was a wake-up call. The event ought to have been an opportunity for roboticists to show what their technology could do, given the dangers for humans during the clean-up operation at the stricken power plant.
But few robots were capable of responding to the nuclear accident, a situation that has since encouraged many to focus on developing robots that can perform rescue operations.
After Fukushima, space is no longer regarded as a priority for Japanese roboticists – but some believe robot astronauts will eventually come into their own.
Technology used in Honda’s Asimo and other robots can easily be applied to machines created with space missions in mind, says Mr Kato. But for those that decide to go down this path profits may not materialise for 50 years, he predicts.
“Interest in space robots is growing more quickly now than 10 years ago,” says Mr Diftler. “The space station is a very busy place and having an extra set of hands, in this case robot hands that can handle maintenance tasks, frees up the crew for more science.”
Mr Takahashi argues the good publicity is enough at this stage. “A lot of people are interested in this project, and that’s the important thing.”
Source: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/7e7f488a-5045-11e3-9f0d-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2mPCJtTn4
/ About us
Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.
/ Follow us at:
/ Contact:
For additional information, partnerships and sponsorship, contact:
info@2045.com
Media requesting information and interviews, contact PR@2045.com
LinkedIn
LiveJournal
Google
Twitter
Facebook
Я.ру
ВКонтакте
Mail.ru