Stories from the future of intelligent machines--from rescue drones to
robot spouses--and accounts of cutting-edge research that could make it
all possible.
Tech prognosticators promised us robots--autonomous humanoids that could
carry out any number of tasks. Instead, we have robot vacuum cleaners.
But, as Dario Floreano and Nicola Nosengo report, advances in robotics
could bring those rosy predictions closer to reality. A new generation
of robots, directly inspired by the intelligence and bodies of living
organisms, will be able not only to process data but to interact
physically with humans and the environment. In this book, Floreano, a
roboticist, and Nosengo, a science writer, bring us tales from the
future of intelligent machines--from rescue drones to robot
spouses--along with accounts of the cutting-edge research that could
make it all possible.
These stories from the not-so-distant future show us robots that can be
used for mitigating effects of climate change, providing healthcare,
working with humans on the factory floor, and more. Floreano and Nosengo
tell us how an application of swarm robotics could protect Venice from
flooding, how drones could reduce traffic on the congested streets of
mega-cities like Hong Kong, and how a "long-term relationship model"
robot could supply sex, love, and companionship. After each fictional
scenario, they explain the technologies that underlie it, describing
advances in such areas as soft robotics, swarm robotics, aerial and
mobile robotics, humanoid robots, wearable robots, and even biohybrid
robots based on living cells. Robotics technology is no silver bullet
for all the world's problems--but it can help us tackle some of the most
pressing challenges we face.
