[guide] in recent years, robots have also joined the "life lab" project. Scientists from all countries try to understand the impact of robots on urban life through social experiments.

 

Whether people are ready or not, the robot will leave the laboratory stage and enter the real world test link. As more and more people live in cities, these technologies provide a way to cope with the aging population and inadequate infrastructure, while promoting safer transport, manufacturing and energy supply. The city "living lab" is a way for scientists to understand robots.

According to Wikipedia, the concept of "the Living Labs" was first proposed by William J. Mitchell, Kent Larson and Alex Pentland of MIT. According to them, "life lab" represents a user centered research method for perception, prototyping, and verification and improvement of complex solutions in multiple changing real-life environments.

In recent years, robots have also joined the "life laboratory" project. Scientists in various countries try to understand the impact of robots on urban life through social experiments.

Robot is a kind of physical tool which is connected, interactive and cognitive. It can sense the surrounding environment, analyze the cause of the event, make or modify the plan and control its behavior. However, the daily dynamics of the city are very complex, which makes the behavior of the robot more difficult to predict than that of the general test field.

I. cities around the world are becoming test grounds for robots

City managers have come to realize that real-world experiments can support innovation and attract international investment. Therefore, cities all over the world are competing to become urban test grounds for robots.

"G + unmanned express car" developed by rookie et logistics laboratory

According to the white paper released by the City Institute of Sheffield University, there are still some great challenges in promoting "robotics and autonomous systems" (RAS) and ensuring meaningful testing in the city. Rachel macrorie, assistant of urban automation and robotics research at the school, wrote an article to analyze three typical scenarios and realistic challenges of robotics in urban applications.

In summary, in the field of logistics and transportation, robots that can deliver "last kilometer" goods have begun to be applied on a large scale. However, these urban experiments are not perfect: some delivery robots have experienced navigation problems, such as being stuck or bumped into obstacles, including bumping into people; not to mention some citizens and activists for the sake of public space and pedestrian safety The whole voice of concern and opposition.

In the field of urban infrastructure maintenance, robots are expected to reach places that are inaccessible to human beings and systematically carry out long-term work, so as to prolong the life of urban infrastructure and reduce maintenance costs. But the problem remains, and the government needs to make sure that not only the affluent and friendly urban areas can benefit from the "autonomous robot system" experiment.

In the field of "service robot", humanoid robot is touted as a feasible solution to the problems of urban public order, customer service and social care. For example, in order to meet the personal care needs of patients, social robots like pepper are being tested as personal partners to enhance the role of human nurses. Nevertheless, human emotional connection and sensitivity are irreplaceable for robots.

Two, the bubble of China's robot market

At present, China has become an urban testing ground for robots, and the Chinese pursuit of robots has also successfully attracted the attention of the New York Times.

"China is ready for the future, even if it hasn't arrived yet," the New York Times wrote. However, this prosperity may be a good thing, because useful products will find their own place, and useless products will be eliminated. "

The New York Times observed that in just a few years, China has become the main force of global technology and is shaping the future of the Internet. Now, hundreds of millions of people in China use smart phones to shop online, pay bills, and invest in financial management, some of which are even worse than those in the United States. This trend has prompted many Chinese to embrace technology, even if some are not yet mature.

Robots serve customers in restaurants; artificial intelligence scores students' homework; face recognition technology is widely used in the service industry; China is still breaking its own world record for robot dancing.

However, the author believes that the trend of "embracing technology for technology" sometimes brings some unsatisfactory results.

The reporter of New York Times paid attention to the "2018 global smart and new business summit" held in Shanghai not long ago. At the opening ceremony of the conference, the organizers wanted to use the "brain computer interface" technology to control the manipulator to press the opening button through the participants' ideas. However, the audience did not wait to "witness the moment of miracle", and the texture of the manipulator did not move.

This scene embarrassed people in China's scientific and technological circles.

The report quoted the scientific and technological circles commented: "the excessive prosperity of the technology market is a sign of the risk investment bubble, and this bubble may burst. Performances like robot dancing and mind reading didn't show China's new technological power, but covered up its lack of progress in other areas of science and technology. "

"Chinese people should not ignore reality," said the editor in chief of science and technology daily He was in the last