The future is now

Robots are becoming smarter, more practical tools in a field that is poised to explode, Moraine professor says

By Jason Maholy

The success of pop culture franchises such as “Star Wars,” “The Terminator” and Transformers might suggest that robots fascinate people.

Humans’ interest in mechanical beings goes much further back in time than the science fiction films and toys of the past 30 years, however. As early as the 4th century BC, Greek mathematician Archytas of Tarentum imagined a mechanical, steampropelled bird he dubbed “The Pigeon.” One century later, a statue that could rise from a sitting position, pour milk and sit down again was unveiled at a parade organized by Egypt’s King Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

Perhaps it is the idea of a machine exhibiting human qualities that makes robots cool; or maybe it is the seemingly insatiable appetite for new technology that drives this fascination with artificial humanoids. Whatever the case, the interest in robots today may be stronger than ever; and the possibility of robots performing tasks and assisting humans in ways once only dreamed of is already a reality.

Larry Langellier, coordinator of Moraine Valley Community College’s management information systems and advisor of the school’s Student Robotics Club, claims the world is on the brink of a robotics explosion that will make the machines a practical part of many people’s lives. Within the next three to five years, robots will see their first widespread use by American consumers as personal assistants for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, and will likely be able to drive a car without assistance from a driver, Langellier said. After that, expect robots to be performing household chores such as vacuuming and mopping, he added.

“Robotics itself is a field that is poised to explode,” Langellier said. “Bill Gates has said that it’s at the same stage personal computers were when he and [Microsoft co-founder] Paul Allen got started.”

One example of robotics available to consumers today is the Lexus LS 460, a luxury car that can parallel park itself; but intelligent machines able to perform human tasks are used predominantly for medical, industrial and military purposes, Langellier said.

Advancements in robotic and medical technology have paved the way for the development of a new breed of prosthetic limbs. Some soldiers who have lost arms and legs in Iraq have been outfitted with robotic prosthesis wired to their nervous systems, enabling the limbs to function like real ones, Langellier said. That sort of technology may conjure up images of Luke Skywalker testing out his new hand after losing his original during his first dual with Darth Vader.

Robots are also used during delicate medical procedures that require small, precise incisions.

While a human surgeon can flinch or shake or be otherwise unsteady, simply because he is human, a robot stays perfectly still, lessening the likelihood of a surgical error, he explained.

“It sounds scary, but they don’t work autonomously,” Langellier said. “They assist surgeons. A surgeon can guide the robot to the right spot and the robot makes the incision.”

The Predator, an unmanned aircraft that can serve in a reconnaissance role or as a weapon deployment device, has been used by the U.S. military since 1995 and has seen extensive action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Langellier said the military is increasingly relying on robots to perform dangerous tasks, and wants 30 percent of its ground fleet to be robotic by 2012.

Langellier explained that artificial intelligence, the “brain” that drives a robot, has progressed from its early days when all information was programmed into the machine — the not-so-successful “brute force approach” — to fuzzy logic systems that allow computers to somewhat mimic human reasoning. Robots are becoming able to perform more and more human tasks because artificial intelligence is continually advancing and evolving, he said. Advancements in both technology and the speed at which computers can process information have allowed machines to close the gap between human and artificial intelligence, he added.

“By 2020 computers will have matched the intelligence of humans,” Langellier said without a hint of doubt.

Computers today are also able to react to sensory information they take in from their environments, an ability demonstrated during Moraine Valley’s Student Robotics Club’s inaugural Robo-O Games held Dec. 1. The competition featured robots built from Legos and included several events such as RoboSumo, during which two robots attempted to push each other out of a ring; RoboBowl, in which the robots attempted to knock down 10 “pins;” and RoboPush, during which the machines attempted to push a weighted container a given distance in the quickest time.

The most complex event, and the one in which processing sensory information was most crucial to the robots’ success, was RoboLine, in which the miniature machines attempted to follow a curving black line. Light sensors wired to each robot’s central processing unit were supposed to distinguish the white tile floor from the black tape that marked the course and prompt the robot in the right direction. Some robots succeeded flawlessly, while others looked lost in the dark.

Eric Trimberger, 13, of Oak Lawn, entered his robot, What Line, in the competition. Eric's mother, Connie, is a student in Moraine's Lego robotics course.

"I really like LEGOs and my mom [Connie] is into computer programming, so you combine two things you like," said Eric a student at Simmons Middle School.

What Line had some problems staying on-track during the contest, which Eric said could have been caused by a programming error. Each competitor programmed his or her own robot using what is known as a graphic programming environment or "dragblock" program. The program is rudimentary as far as robotics is concerned, but Langellier said Moraine's robotics course provides students an overview of the field and how robotic concepts can help teach them about science and technology.

Who knows, the students in the course may one day be programming the functions that drive cell phones, video games or other tech toys. Or clothing that responds to environmental conditions, just another thing Langellier said robotics technology will one day make possible.

This is part of the December 13, 2007 online edition of The Reporter.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you. Click here.