If there’s any good to come out of the coronavirus global pandemic it’s the fact that the pace of innovation has increased, the distant future fast-tracked into the foreground. Medical breakthroughs, clinical trials, and drug production occur in record time. 3-D printers work over-time and get pushed into overdrive to produce PPE and spare ventilator parts. Sensors and wearable devices to detect illnesses and surveil populations keep popping up. Almost as fast as new mask designs hit the market. Everywhere you look. Everywhere you turn. New innovations. Left and right.
But there’s one innovation in particular that is now enjoying its moment in the sun. The one innovation that really hits home in terms of previewing what the future might look like. An innovation that you might say is spot on. For there’s something equally troubling and yet romantic about a robotic dog stationed on the front lines, trying its hardest to protect us by politely reminding us to keep a safe distance from one another.
As the LA Times puts it:
“Developed by Boston Dynamics of Waltham, Mass., Spot is one of the world’s most advanced commercial robots, last seen opening doors, hauling a truck or dancing to Bruno Mars in a slate of mesmerizing promotional videos. Its two-week pilot in a park here is seen as a test of how machines and artificial intelligence could help reduce human contact in public spaces as some governments begin easing social restrictions.
‘The world is watching to see what happens with the Spot trial,’ said David De Cremer, a Belgian scholar and director of the Center on AI Technology for Humankind at the National University of Singapore. ‘It’s a glimpse of the future.’
The semiautonomous Spot, which can walk up to 3 mph over uneven terrain, detect obstacles with 360-degree vision and get up after it falls, captures the promise and terror of a mechanized future in which robots assist in human tasks — or replace them altogether. Its whirring joints and eerily precise prowl inspired an episode of the dystopian British TV series ‘Black Mirror,’ which envisioned a breed of human-hunting robot dogs.”
Thankfully, the version is a little bit less scary than that. In fact, it’s presence is likely to become a welcomed sight. Instead of us taking care of our pets, our four-legged robotic friends will take care of us. Instead of us picking up after them, they’ll pick up the slack and do their part to keep us safe.
Is a robotic dog that patrols parks and ensures social distancing the Greatest Idea Ever?
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