Why is it that the military seems to be the only government source of funding for a lot of these nice new toys that we find enhance our lives. DARPA seems to be a source for many wonders.
Take this one for instance. Read here about an emergency portable operating theatre that can be deployed near the front lines but unlike MASH the surgeons are safely in another continent with quick access to specialists.
Inside the theatre is a small team of twelve robots lead by a robot surgeon who is remotely controlled by a real surgeon. The robots will be able to perform simple tasks on their own. One is an anaesthesiologist another a scrub nurse with another being a circulating nurse with the tools. It also contains an X Ray and, soon, an ultrasound.
Although at prototype stage I would envisage that it would be a boon for out of the way towns and villages with not enough of a population to afford a hospital. Also oil rigs, submarine and space platforms and cruise ships to name a few.
I Robot.
Bladeruner.
No. No. No. We don’t want smart robots. Just dumb ones that do simple tasks and do them well. Not even human shapes but shapes that are purely functional.
We really should not be looking at Bladerunner type robots unless we are deliberately trying to fool humans by building assassins or ‘partners’.
We need many robots that will do simple tasks. Like this theatre and programmed to do basic functions. All based on the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle. The more complicated we make it the more chance of bugs. Reducing risk to humans should be at the front of everyones mind when working with machines that can move faster, are stronger and can think quicker than us.
Maybe I have been brought up on a diet of robots going off killing people for our own good or taking over the planet to protect us.