Sales of industrial robots in Guangdong's machining plants have risen to a record level, and they have huge untapped potential for household chores such as weeding and carpet cleaning. Last year, 3000 underwater robots, 2300 blasting robots and 1600 surgical robots began to work. It is expected that the number of domestic robots for dust collection and weeding will increase significantly, from 12500 in 2000 to 500000 by the end of 2004. The price of IBOT Roomba vacuum cleaner is less than 0.00 now.
Recently, the anthrax panic, more and more people use the robot rack post office information. In fact, American postal automation has great potential. Last year, 1000 robots were installed to sort packages. The U.S. Postal Service estimates it could use 80000 robots to sort packages. Looking at the "robots" around us today: automatic gas pump, bank automatic teller machine and self-service test line, machines have replaced many service jobs.
In the next few decades, it is not difficult to imagine that the development and progress of image processing, microprocessor speed and artificial simulation may lead to automation becoming the most boring, low intelligence and low wage work in the world. Marshall brain, founder of howstuffworks.com, has written two interesting papers on robots of the future, which are worth reading. He thinks that robots will replace many human beings in the next 40 years, which is very possible. According to Marshall brain's prediction, in his paper "robot race", humanized robots will be popularized in 2030. They will replace jobs currently performed by humans, such as fast food services, cleaning rooms and retail services. Unless a way is found to make up for these lost jobs, Marshall brain estimates that by 2055, more than 50% of Americans will be replaced by robots and lose their jobs.
Intelligent robots will be applied to every corner of the world. Hal and data and sensor machines are approaching rapidly. In fact, in some ways, intelligent robots have begun to take on the work of human beings. Due to the doubling of processing power and the smaller and more accurate sensor and transmission brought by memory device technology, robots will become the next generation of new products with novel and wonderful applications.