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Rise of the Machines: Examining the robotic landscape in 2016

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OK I'll level with you, that headline is more than a little clickbaity, as we're still decades away from an actual, potential robotic uprising. The last few years have seen a marked increase, however, in the use of robotics in not only manufacturing, but in the public sector and even in the creative industries. Here, I'll be examining a few recent pieces of news that allude to the fact that the machines not only taking over, but that they're probably better at our jobs than we'll ever be.

Taking down the Dallas shooter

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Whilst the news was buzzing last week with hate-filled reports of racially fuelled police brutality and retaliation from the US, one of the aspects of the story many outlets neglected to mention is that Dallas police used a robot to kill shooter Micah Xavier Johnson, in what is thought to be a first in US history. The incident is believed to be the first time police have used a robotic system in a deliberately lethal manner. The robot, which is a bomb disposal unit by day, was deployed to take down the shooter who murdered five police officers in Dallas last week. The Remotec Andros F5 robot was sent into the garage containing 25-year-old Johnson on Thursday 7 July 2016, after he opened fire on police during a peaceful protest. Several hours of negotiations had failed when the Dallas Police Department (DPD) deployed the robot, which was fitted with an explosive device on its arm. Although similar devices have been used in police operations in the recent past, none had been used to injure or kill a suspect until now, and until recently, repurposed bomb-disposal robots had been limited to military usage.

We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the subject was” Dallas Police Chief, David Brown

Does this mark the crest of a sea change in the way police tackle dangerous threats? Perhaps, but perhaps not. As a result of the event in Dallas, debate has ignited on the place of this new technology in policing. New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton praised the DPD for its use of the bomb-disposal robot, but some experts have compared the use of unmanned exploding robots to drone warfare. Rick Nelson, a fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and a former counterterrorism official on the National Security Council, warned: “The further we remove the officer from the use of force and the consequences that come with it, the easier it becomes to use that tactic It's what we have done with drones in warfare, but in warfare, your object is to kill. Law enforcement has a different mission.” A chilling thought indeed, but then it can't be a bad thing to distance police forces, and civilians by extension from potential harm by using robots instead of human beings as enforcement in dangerous situations? This is a topic that will no doubt inspires heavy debate for decades to come.

HumanMADE could replace human potters

In related, though much less frightening news, at least for those of us who are not professional potters, Central Saint Martins student Charlotte Nordmoen has designed a robotic potter that anticipates a time when human labour is no longer needed. The prototype device has a replacement human finger made from silicone attached to a mechanical arm, which is used to shape clay in much the same way a real finger would. The system relies on a design programme that uses machine learning and an algorithm to generate its own creations. This software gathers images of vases online and interprets their outlines as basic, common shapes to create a vase DNA profile. It then combines features together to create a new vase that mixes contrasting traits from different designs. Currently the robot has no feedback mechanism, however, so it's unable to learn from mistakes or improve on its designs. A decent AI would solve this problem of course, but do we really want a sentient robot potter?

For any potters out there developing a sweat, however, the student has some comforting words. She said: “The project isn't meant as a serious proposal to put potters out of work, rather as a way of asking questions. It aims to go beyond the practical aspect of technological unemployment and to ask what happens if a robot takes on the role of an artisan.” The designer has developed the robot so it only needs to rely on people for menial tasks like preparing clay and performing maintenance. Currently, he's seeking collaborators with experience in machine learning and robotics to further develop the potential of the system he has dubbed “Humanmade.” Nordmoen created the robot as part of the Material Futures MA and showed it at Central Saint Martins' end-of-year show. Also included in the exhibition was Lesley Ann-Daly's set of implants that let wearers monitor their health using sound and Giulia Tomasello's home-grown sanitary pad kit.

Meet Ori; the robotic, moving furniture from Fuseproject

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How would you like your home to literally conform to your every need and whim? To change dynamically to match our activities and needs? It's not science fiction anymore thanks to Ori; the system of intelligent, responsive technologies that combine robotics, architecture and design to enable effortless transformation of interior spaces. The initial application of Ori’s technology can, for example, transform a single studio space into a one-bedroom apartment with a bedroom, living room and office. Guided by the principal that interior space, particularly in high-density urban innovation centres around the world, has become too expensive, this breakthrough innovation can create dynamic environments that act and feel as though they are substantially larger than they actually are. If this all sounds a little confusing, or simply too good to be true, check out the video above to see the system in action. If you're not impressed then I might as well give up.

What Ori does is to maximise the functionality of a space; with robotic technology it creates a beautiful and transformative living and working environment”

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Ori developed the initial family of connected products for small, modern, urban living, as well as the branding and corresponding applications, in partnership with the award-winning design studio Fuseproject. The studio is led by renowned designer Yves Béhar, who said of the Ori system: “Many people living in urban environments no longer have the luxury of space, or they are choosing to live in a smaller footprint. What Ori does is to maximise the functionality of a space; with robotic technology it creates a beautiful and transformative living and working environment that is unlike anything the world has seen.” The system offers intelligent space on demand, so with the light touch of a finger, a spacious living room converts into a comfortable bedroom, a walk-in-closet, or an office, all connected to modular robotic technology and intelligent systems, which have almost limitless adaptability. Ori derives its name from “Origami,” which reflects the operation of the product very cleverly. I can't wait to see how the technology is used in the future to not only improve out living environments, but work environments too. Imagine an office controlled by an Ori system for example. I mean, it would be chaos at first, but once everyone had adapted to it, the potential applications alone are dizzying.

Meet Cozmo, The charming companion

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Robots are a lot of things, but they are very rarely cute. Aiming to dispel the notion that robots can't be adorable AND helpful, the San Francisco-based startup company Anki have developed the “Cozmo,” a charming robot that is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It resembles a toy truck with a forklift-like technology for lifting light, objects and has an animated face displayed on a CRT-styled screen that holds two large, blue eyes. It was designed with the help of professional animator Carlos Baena, who worked on such films as “Toy Story 3” and “Wall-E,” so he really knows what he's doing when it comes to lending character to inanimate objects. Baena led Anki’s team of animators and designers (some of whom have also worked at animation studios like Pixar and Dreamworks) in developing the way Cozmo moves and interacts with its surroundings and, of course, how he looks. Speaking of which, Cozmo has been given a decidedly cartoonish design. Cozmo's pupil-less eyes shape-shift to reflect its mood, so if it’s feeling happy, its eyes compress into little slits. If a player hasn’t interacted with Cozmo for a while, meanwhile, its eyes quickly morph into a little game of pong, indicating that it's feeling bored and unloved. I can't decide if that's adorable or creepy, but it's certainly impressive.

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Owners connect the robot to a mobile app through wifi, and the app essentially acts as it’s brain. Once turned on, its eyes light up and indicate that the little robot is scanning its surroundings. Using artificial intelligence, Cozmo can also lock on and remember a person’s face through facial recognition so that it knows whom it wants to play games with. Anki built software models that were fed thousands of examples of faces, which helped train it to identify as many people as possible. The robotic companion is intended to play custom games with its owners, which involve three cubes that were created specifically to act as Cozmo's playmates. In one game called “Speed Tap,” both Cozmo and the player are assigned one of the cubes, and whenever the cubes flash the same colour, the player must tap his or her cube before the robot can. It's been programmed to react to each win or loss, and if it wins a lot, its confidence will grow and it will antagonise the player, goading them into playing the game better. If it loses, it can become frustrated and will throw it’s little forklift arms around in disappointment. A robot hissy fit. The Anki Cozmo is set to launch to the public this October, and I want one. Despite myself.

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Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.

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