The Robots are Coming
Posted on March 10, 2004
The robots are finally here, although they are not yet as intelligent and useful as the ones on The Jetsons. The most popular home robot today is the Roomba, which is able to vacuum floors without any assistance. The Roomba is no Rosie but it is a start in the right direction. Other robots like the HelpMate, are also becoming common in hospitals. They help carry around documents, equipment and medicine.
HelpMate uses a technology called LIDAR to find its way around and avoid objects and humans as it romans the hospital. They are also known as robotic carts. The company was previously named Transitions Research Corporation. You can read more about its deal with the Advanced Technology Porgram here.
Robots are also widely used in manufacturing, security, law enforcement and the military. As microprocessing power continues to increase, so should the power behind the robots.
