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learner” for students, helping them self-correct
their work. Robots can be particularly good at
working with autistic children, who “understand
the physical world much better than the
social world.” The year 2013 saw the launch of
the first robot into space. Kiribo was sent to
provide companionship for astronauts on the
International Space Station, but his creators at
the University of Tokyo are interested in droids’
potential to provide company for anyone living
alone, especially the elderly.
One important cybernetic subspecies is the
telepresence robot: a physical stand-in that
an individual can control remotely, using the
‘bot’s mobility as well as its (two-way) video
and audio feeds. Telemedicine robots enable
doctors to “beam in” to remote clinics or to
hospitals lacking staff with expertise in a particular
area. Teleteachers may improve education
by letting “the right people be in more
places at once.” These robots also provide a
way to mainstream people formerly relegated
to the sidelines. Children with compromised
immune systems can attend school via proxy
robots. Quadriplegics can control telepresence
robots (or fly drones!) via eye movements.
Finally we are seeing the development of true
cyborgs, as humans incorporate ever more
sophisticated robotic components onto and
into their own bodies. A new generation of
prosthetic limbs can be controlled by nerve
signals sent by the brain. Technology has
already been developed and tested that lets
paralyzed patients control robots via their
Below: The Legged Squad Support System (LS3) robot can carry 400 pounds of equipment over rough terrain and
obey voice commands. Right: Geeking out at the 2013 Robotics Challenge. Photos courtesy DARPA.
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