Lecture Slides Flashcards
Joseph F. Engelberer
American engineer and entrepreneur
Father of robotics
Co-founded the first robotics company and developed the first commercially successful robot (Unimate), which was a robotic arm designed for tasks like handling hot metals and performing repetitive tasks in industrial settings
Rossum’s Universal Robots
Sci-fi play written by Czech playwright Karel Capek that premiered in 1920 that introduced the word robot to the world
Set in a future where a company, Rossum’s Universal Robots, creates humanoid robots designed to serve humans but that eventually rebel
The word robot comes from the Czech word “robota” meaning forced labour or drudgery
Alan Turing
British mathematician, logician and computer scientists, widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern computing and artificial intelligence
Turing Test
A hypothetical experiment to determine a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour indistinguishable from that of a human
If the judge cannot reliably distinguish the machine’s responses from the human’s, the machine is said to have passed the Turing Test and demonstrated a form of artificial intelligence
Mixed Traffic
Traditional human-driven vehicles and self-driving cars sharing the same roads
Raises challenges related to safety, communication, and regulations due to the different behaviours and capabilities of the two groups
Self-driving cars are strict rule-followers with “optimising” driving-styles, while human drivers are flexible rule-benders with “satisficing” driving-styles
Principle of Unnecessary Risk
if humans being replaced by robots leads to better outcomes for all people, there is an ethical obligation to carry out the replacement
Ethics Settings
the particular settings of a robot in regards to ethics, such as those of a self-driving car in event of an accident
“Clever” Utilitarian Perspective on Ethics Settings
goal of cars should be to protect the buyersm not minimise overall harm, since self-driving cars are likely to minimise harm anyway and protecting the buyers will ensure more widespread use
Kant and Germany’s Regulation on Self-Driving Cars
in the event of unavoidable accidents, all classification of people based on their personal characteristics is prohibited
Types of Actors in Technological Contexts
technology developers and producers
technology users
technology regulators
Types of means
Formal means (legislation and standardisation)
Financial means (investments, subsidies)
Relations with others (press)
Knowledge (expertise, access to information)
Public actions (boycot, propaganda)
Use (purchase)
Categories of factors driving
- Technological
- Ecological
- Economic
- Political
- Socio-cultural
- Demographic
Three Types of Perspectives on Technologies
- User Perspective - interaction, experience, adoption
- Technical Perspectives - opportunities and challenges
- Societal perspective - societal challenge, impact
K*SERA Project
research initiative funded by the EU with the objective of creating a socially assistive robot designed to support elderly individuals, particularly those with COPD, in their daily activities, care requirements, and self-management of their condition
Guardian Robot
focused on providing assistance and support for frail elderly individuals and their caregivers through a user-friendly, socially intelligent robot with features like medication reminders, well-being monitoring, and an accessible app interface
Ageing Society
Life expectancy is increasing
Support ratios will also decrease from 1:5 in 2000 to 1:2 in 2050
Problems with Old Age
Reduced mobility
Social isolation
Forgetfulness
Irregular eating and/or drinking
Talking about/asking the same things
Fear of asking/doing certain things
Medical Problems that Come with Old Age
Cardio-vascular diseases
Diabetes
COPD
Dementia
Altzheimer
How New Technologies can Reduce Healthcare Costs
Lowering hospital usage and admissions
Offering the opportunity for tele visits as an alternative to face-to-face visits
Improving quality of healthcare offered to patients in remote locations (equality of patients)
Innovation is Socially-Assistive Robots
Supporting the human caregiver
Medical compliance - ensures that treatment plans are strictly followed
Assessing the need for medical care
Telecare with the robot
Indicating cognitive deterioration
Physical training
Moore’s Law
Observation and prediction by Gordon Moore that states that the number of transistors that can be placed on an integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years, whilst the cost per transistor decreases
This growth has led to consistent advancements in technology, such as faster and more capable microprocessors, and has been a driving force behind the rapid development of the electronics industry
Nowawdays, starting to not hold true anymore as a number of constraints have begun to limit the development of chips
Components of Cyber Physical Systems
a physical part, interfaces with sensors and actuators, and the cyber part that is connected to a network
Superhuman precision in surgery
Minimally invasive surgery - surgical approach allowing medical professionals to perform various procedures with smaller incisions
Eye surgery - robots designed for retinal surgery aid surgeons in making precise incisions and adjustments
Microsurgery - specialised microsurgical instruments with fine tips and high precisions have been developed for work on miniscule structures with exceptional precision
Bone robotics - robotic systems used to enhance the precision of bone cuts and implant placement
Four University Generations
traditional teaching-focused institutions of the first generation
followed by research-oriented universities in the second generation
then a third generation emphasizing innovation and entrepreneurship
and finally, a fourth generation marked by digital and global connectivity, online learning, and lifelong education
Organised Serendipity
a combination of the idea of serendipity (unexpected and fortunate discoveries or insights) with a deliberate and structured approach to creating opportunities for such discoveries
involves a deliberate effort to create conditions conducive to serendipitous events
e.g., designing spaces, fostering collaborations, encouraging exploration and experimentation
Waterfall Method
a sequential software development approach in which the project is divided into distinct, non-overlapping phases, with each phase dependent on the deliverables of the previous one, and changes or revisions are difficult to implement once a phase is completed
Six Stages of the Waterfall Method
- Requirements gathering
- System design
- Implementation
- Testing
- Deployment
- Maintenance and Support
User-Centered Design
iterative design approach focused on creating products or systems that prioritise the needs and preferences of end-users, resulting in superior user experience
