Topic 8

ROBOTIC REVOLUTION
Robots look set to take centre stage.

1. What can robots do these days? Think of as many things as you can – add to the list
below. Then, discuss your ideas with a partner.
These days, robots can…
… build cars.
… detonate bombs.
… lift things.
... talk.
... walk.
... fly aircraft.
 Zip your zipper
It can go around curves and move forward and backward. Get ready for tiny bots to zip
around your pants, jackets, and dresses.
 Play Piano, ping pong
 Farm
Bonirob and his autonomous buddies can work together to remove weeds from the land
and spread fertilizer.
 help at home
 At a pharmacy in San Francisco, a robot brings drugs to the patients.

 answer phones
 The RoboThesbian is a life-sized “humanoid” robot who can sing, tell jokes and do
impressions.
 A shiny blue, one-armed robot serves cocktails onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
2. Read the article once and compare your ideas from task 1. Work with the words in bold
(know how to translate and explain them).

3. Study the vocabulary. Make up 15 sentences of your own using these phrases and words.

GLOSSARY
humanoid adj like a human in appearance
an automaton n a self-operating machine
(that operates from its own power)
to defuse a bomb exp to stop a bomb from
exploding by taking out parts of it
an acronym n a word that is made from the
initials of other words
to resemble vb if A “resembles” B, A looks
like (or is like) B
to take the register exp if a teacher “takes
the register”, he/she reads out a list of names
in order to check who is there
to tell off phr vb if you “tell someone off”,
you speak angrily to them because you are
not happy about something
eerie adj strange; frightening
disgust n a feeling of strong hatred or dislike
for something
a forklift truck n a vehicle for lifting (taking
something to a higher level) heavy objects. It
has a type of large fork at the front for doing
this
to deliver vb to take something to a
destination
to dispose of phr vb to throw away
clinical waste n rubbish (old, dirty things)
from a hospital or clinic
to dispense drugs exp to give
drugs/medicine that have been prescribed to
patients
to rotate vb to move in circles, whilst fixed
on a central point
a PDA abbr an abbreviation of “personal
digital assistant” – a small, hand-held
computer
a meal tray n a flat board made of plastic or
wood for serving/carrying food or drinks
linen n sheets/table cloths/napkins, etc. made
from linen or cotton
a service lift n a “lift” is a device in a
building for taking you from one floor to
another. A “service lift” is used by staff for
transporting goods / equipment, etc. – it is
not used by the public
to pick up phr vb to take something in your
hands and to move it to a higher area

Robots have come a long way since Leonardo Da Vinci’s 15th century humanoid
automaton. We’ve got robots to build cars, defuse bombs and explore planets. But things haven’t
stopped there. And who knows where it’s going to end up.
In 1986, Honda began development of a humanoid robot called ASIMO. The name is an
acronym for “Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility”. Since then, the robot has evolved
amazingly. Standing at 130 centimetres and weighing 54 kilograms, ASIMO resembles a small
astronaut wearing a backpack. And he can walk, fight, climb and run on two feet at speeds of up
to 6 km/h. Scary!
The world’s first robot teacher is Saya. She can take the register, smile and tell pupils off.
With her eerie lifelike face, she can express six basic emotions: surprise, fear, disgust, anger,
happiness and sadness. In order to do this, her rubber skin is pulled from the back with motors
and wiring around the eyes and the mouth. She can also say simple pre-programmed phrases such
as “Thank you”, while her lips move to express pleasure. Saya was developed as a receptionist
robot in 2004, but was later tested in a real Tokyo classroom.
In the UK, there have been some exciting new developments. The Forth Valley Royal
Hospital in Scotland will be the first hospital in the UK to use robot workers. The mini-robots
(which look like forklift trucks) will deliver food, clean operating theatres, collect and dispose
of clinical waste, and even dispense drugs. The robots use a rotating laser beam to help them
find their way around the long hospital corridors. “Members of staff will use a hand-held PDA to
call up the robot to move meal trays, or linen, or whatever. The robot will come up in the service
lift by itself, pick up the item and go back into the lift,” explained Tom McEwen, the project
manager for manufacturer Serco. Computers on board the robots can command doors to open,
and sensors will tell the robots to stop if anything – or anyone – is in the way.
The robots are especially useful for controlling infection. “Traditionally clean and dirty
tasks are carried out by the same person,” nurse Lesley Shepherd said. “But here, you'll have
robots that do “dirty tasks”, such as collecting dirty sheets or taking away clinical waste; and
you'll have robots that do “clean tasks”, such as bringing meals and clean linen to patients. The
robots have separate lifts so there’s no way they can cross, which is great”. Managers said the
robots would not replace humans, but would free up more time for staff to spend with patients.
They will also have to keep at least one human on standby, should any of the robots break down.
But if this is what it's like in 2010, what’s it going to be like in 2020?

4. Read the article again and answer these questions.

1. What is ASIMO an acronym of? What can it do?
In 1986, Honda began development of a humanoid robot called ASIMO. The name
is an acronym for “Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility”. Since then, the robot has
evolved amazingly. Standing at 130 centimetres and weighing 54 kilograms,
ASIMO resembles a small astronaut wearing a backpack. And he can walk, fight,
climb and run on two feet at speeds of up to 6 km/h.
2. What was Saya’s original role?
Saya was developed as a receptionist robot in 2004, but was later tested in a real
Tokyo classroom.
3. How will the robots in the hospital be controlled?
“Members of staff will use a hand-held PDA to call up the robot to move meal trays,
or linen, or whatever. The robot will come up in the service lift by itself, pick up the
item and go back into the lift,” explained Tom McEwen, the project manager for
manufacturer Serco.
4. What will these robots be especially useful for? How?
The robots are especially useful for controlling infection. “here, you'll have robots
that do “dirty tasks”, such as collecting dirty sheets or taking away clinical waste;
and you'll have robots that do “clean tasks”, such as bringing meals and clean linen
to patients. The robots have separate lifts so there’s no way they can cross, which is
great”.

5. Language focus. Parts of speech.

Look at this extract from the article, “...there have been some exciting new
developments.” The writer has used the word “development”. Complete the
sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets.
1. Scientists have developed (develop) the robot.
2. It’s an interesting new development (develop).
3. They’ve been developing (develop) a solution to the problem.
4. The land was sold to developer develop).
5. Tobacco consumption is high in the developed (develop) world.

6. Discussion.
1. Do you think we’ll start to see more and more robots in the future?
If we give enough time and if robots have the ability to evolve in time, they could
one day become as intelligent as humans and may have the feelings. Is this not
possible?
2. Would you ever consider having a robot at home to help out in the house? Why?
I know I am lazy. Of course I can put a lot of effort for something I like. But when it
comes to wash the dishes, sweep the floor or clean the bathroom... it's not MY
thing.
I really wish I had some home robots to do the housekeeping for me. Usually the
feeling comes when I see the dishes piled up in the sink, after dinner. Or when I
enter the bathroom with my sponge as the only weapon against the dirt.
3. What dangers could exist with more sophisticated robots?
In February, a South Korean woman was sleeping on the floor when her robot
vacuum ate her hair, forcing her to call for emergency help.
If you add new information to their database, they can behave unexpectedly and
give out errors.
Robots will collect information about us, so they can become a tool in the hands of
intruders.
Robots can cause emotional attachment
Robots of the future will exist at the junction of two worlds - virtual and real - and
will be able to take advantage of both. All information on the Internet and the
possibilities of their artificial bodies will be accessible to them. It will be difficult
for us to compete with them.
7. Prepare short information about any robot machines (with visual information –
pictures or video) about any robot (talk about benefits or uselessness). It can be info
not only about humanlike machine.
The Japanese carmaker Toyota shared footage of its robot designed to help people
with limited mobility. It’s the first time this robot has been put to work in an American
home.
The robot, which Toyota calls a Human Support Robot, or HSR, stands a little over
four feet tall. It has one arm with a gripper; instead of legs, it roves around flat surfaces on
a wheeled base. The robot can be beckoned with a touchscreen controller.
The robot visited the home of Romulo “Romy” Camargo, a decorated war veteran
who suffered injuries in Afghanistan that left him paralyzed from the neck down. In the
video, Toyota researchers place stickers on objects around the room that help the HSR
locate or identify them, like a water bottle or a push button to open an automatic door.
HSR isn’t Toyota’s only robot aimed at helping people with limited mobility. In
April of this year, the carmaker launched a rental service for its robotic leg brace in Japan,
called Welwalk, designed to help partially paralyzed people walk and rehabilitate.
8. Read additional text about robots. Work with the words in bold (know how to translate
and explain them). Compose 5 questions of different types and put them to your
groupmates.
Ready for the robot revolution?
By Jon Stewart BBC News, Southern California

Robots are about to invade our lives.

From performing household chores, to entertaining and educating our children, to looking
after the elderly, roboticists say we will soon be welcoming their creations into our homes and
workplaces.
Researchers believe we are on the cusp of a robot revolution that will mirror the explosive
growth of the computer revolution from the 1980s onwards.
They are developing new laws for robot behaviour, and designing new ways for humans
and robots to interact.
"I think robotics technology will change who we are, just as eyeglasses and fire changed
who we were before," says Rodney Brookes, robotics entrepreneur and former director of the
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

Human-like robots
Commercially available robots are already beginning to perform everyday tasks like
vacuuming our floors.
The latest prototypes from Japan are able to help the elderly to get out of bed or get up
after a fall. They can also remind them when to take medication, or even help wash their
hair.
"Current robots are not human like. For example they are things like automated beds and
wheelchairs," says celebrated roboticist Prof Hiroshi Ishiguro, director of the Intelligent Robotics
Laboratory at Osaka University, Japan. He believes the time is coming when robots start looking
less like machines, and more like us.
"Everything is becoming automatic, and that means everything is a robot. People want to
have a better interface."
"Elderly people don't like using a computer interface, but they can talk with a robot," says
Prof Ishiguro.
"In the near future we are going to use more human-like robots, I really think so."
Prof Maja Mataric at the University of Southern California, one of the leading proponents
of social caring robots, agrees. "I'm very excited about the fact that today in robotics we have
machines that are sophisticated enough to be put together with people in a daily life setting," she
says.
"A major point to keep in mind is that people will need human-machine interaction in the
future."
The global population is living longer, and getting older, which presents new challenges.
"The question becomes: who will take care of everyone? While people will always be the best
caregivers for people, there just aren't enough people. That's where robotic technology can really
make a difference," says Prof Mataric.
Her group is developing robots to work with stroke patients, and elderly people
undergoing cognitive changes.
The research team has found that people react well to a robot gym instructor, and seem to get less
frustrated with it than with instructions given on a computer screen. The robot can act as a perfect
trainer, with infinite patience.
"People say things like 'I prefer this robot to my husband! Can I take it home?'" according
to Prof Mataric.
"In fact there's a really important point here, that as we create these care giving
technologies, we're helping not only the people that need the care, but also the people caring for
them. We can give them a break, and help them avoid burnout."

Welcome to the machine

People are going to have to like, and importantly trust robots before they welcome them into their
homes, and several groups around the world are working on making it easier to communicate
with them.
Much of human interaction takes place unconsciously, through body language. Gestures,
eye contact, and concepts of personal space are all things that robots are being taught.
In learning about how people interact with machines, researchers are also discovering new
roles for robots in our lives. Robots can communicate with humans in ways that other technology
can not.
"If someone finds the robot to be more persuasive, more credible, that's going to affect how they
interact with it," says Dr Cynthia Breazeal, director of the Personal Robots Group at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"We can now start to think about domains where it's the social interaction, which is the
core means by which a robot helps someone, through motivating them, or giving positive
reinforcement."
Dr Breazeal says that means robots could have applications in education, learning, and
healthcare, where social support is important.
Roboticists have had impressive results with autistic children, who often find
communication difficult. Children seem to be able to interact more easily with a robot 'buddy'
than with other people.

In control
Science fiction may have primed us for the coming robot revolution, but it has also given
us an idea of the types of controls we may want to consider before welcoming robots into our
lives and homes.
One of the most celebrated science fiction authors, Isaac Asimov, outlined 'Three Laws of
Robotics' in a novel featuring human-like robots. The rules were designed to protect people from
harm.
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come
to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would
conflict with the First Law.
 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the
First or Second Laws.
"Asimov's laws of robotics were, and remain, a fictional device" says Prof Alan Winfield from the
University of the West of England.
"But if not those particular laws, then in the far future there will have to be something like
Asimov's laws."
At present, robots are not sophisticated enough to be made to behave ethically. Prof
Winfield says that means roboticists building them need to behave ethically instead.
The UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, together with the Arts and
Humanities Research Council, has drafted a set of ethical principles for robot design - which can
be summarised as follows:
1. Robots should not be designed solely or primarily to kill or harm humans.
2. Humans, not robots, are responsible agents. Robots are tools designed to achieve human
goals.
3. Robots should be designed in ways that assure their safety and security.
4. Robots are artefacts; they should not be designed to exploit vulnerable users by evoking
an emotional response or dependency. It should always be possible to tell a robot from a
human.
5. It should always be possible to find out who is legally responsible for a robot.
"At present this code is simply a set of ideas. It's out for debate and discussion," says Prof
Winfield.
However he believes that they are ideas that people should be thinking about before the coming
'robot revolution'.
"In my view the principles are less important than the debate and the awareness around the
issues that they provoke."
9. Write pros and cons of using robots in 2coloumns.
Using robots
Advantages
1. Abilities: Robotic abilities, what robots
can do, are now extremely vast and
growing.
2. Productivity: Robots do not tire and
can work very long hours without
service or maintenance. As a result,
robots can be significantly more
productive than people.
3. Precision: Robots can be much more
precise than people. For instance, robots
should not tremble or shake as human
hands do. Furthermore, robots can have
much smaller and versatile moving parts
than people. As a result, robots have
even performed medical surgeries,
because they can be more precise than
people.
4. Strength: Without a doubt, robots can
be significantly stronger than people.
5. Speed: Additionally, robots can be
significantly faster than people too.
6. Size: Robots can come in any size.
Whatever size needed for any task can
be created.
7. Environment: Robots can be designed
to work in extremely harsh
environments, such as in space, without
air, underwater, fire, etc. Thus, robots
can be used instead of people when
human safety is a concern.
8. Dangerous and Unwanted Work:
Finally, robots can do jobs that people
are unwilling to do. For instance, many
robotic probes have been sent
throughout the solar system to never
return back to Earth. I don’t think many
people would be willing to do those
types of jobs.
9. Warfare: Using robots in warfare
eliminates putting more people at risk
and has proven to be very successful.
Disadvantages
1. Jobs: In my opinion, the biggest
issue with using robots is the huge
loss of jobs for people. Basically,
robots have eradicated a wide
range of middle class jobs in
several industries, such as car
manufacturing.
2. Limited Functionality: Robots are
very good at doing perfectly
defined jobs, however robots
typically do not handle the
unexpected as well as people do.
3. Lack of Intelligence: Since robots
are not intelligent or sentient,
robots can never improve the
results of their jobs outside of their
predefined programming. In other
words, robots do not think. At
least, not yet.
4. Lack of Emotions or
Conscience: Similarly, robots do
not have emotions or conscience;
therefore, robots lack empathy and
all of the advantages that come
with it. As a result, this limits how
robots can help and interact with
people.
5. Colonization: While robots can be
sent to other planets and distance
moons to help colonize them, they
cannot build an independent
functioning society.
6. Dangerous: Robots can be
extremely dangerous. Whether
robots are malfunctioning or
designed for warfare, robots can be
very hazardous to people.
10. Suggest 10 key words that can help you to talk about robots.
1. dangerous
2. size
3. cheap
4. human-like robots
5. to invade our lives
6. the huge loss of jobs for people
7. lack of emotions or conscience
8. can be significantly faster than people
9. do not tire and can work very long hours without service or maintenance
10.extremely vast and growing.

11. What do you think about the future of robotic revolution? Are they really about to invade our
lives? Give ideas.
 I don't think that robots would take over human jobs in the future. At least not
most of them. Employees are consumers. They make money and use that
money to buy things. For the economy to work you need supply and demand.
Robots taking over human jobs would take away the demand. You can't
replace humans unless we stop using money and people get things for free.
 It is not a bad thing if the robots do jobs especially a dangerous ones such as
in nuclear power stations and some complicated job. But the problem in the
future concerning robotics technology could be cyber attack, cyber crime and
cyber terrorism. Your personal robot for instance could be hacked and
reprogrammed remotely to do other jobs than it is originally supposed to
perform. How much can we protect such threat? Even these days nations are
through such threats.
12. Using the information from these two texts write a retelling about robot revolution
according to the plan: pros and cons in using robots, your ideas about the future of robot
revolution, are they really about to invade our lives.
In 1986, Honda began development of a humanoid robot called ASIMO. The name
is an acronym for “Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility”. Since then, the robot has
evolved amazingly. Standing at 130 centimetres and weighing 54 kilograms, ASIMO
resembles a small astronaut wearing a backpack. And he can walk, fight, climb and run on
two feet at speeds of up to 6 km/h.
If we give enough time and if robots have the ability to evolve in time, they could
one day become as intelligent as humans and may have the feelings. Is this not possible?
I know I am lazy. Of course I can put a lot of effort for something I like. But when it
comes to wash the dishes, sweep the floor or clean the bathroom... it's not MY thing. I
really wish I had some home robots to do the housekeeping for me. Usually the feeling
comes when I see the dishes piled up in the sink, after dinner. Or when I enter the
bathroom with my sponge as the only weapon against the dirt.
In February, a South Korean woman was sleeping on the floor when her robot
vacuum ate her hair, forcing her to call for emergency help.
If you add new information to their database, they can behave unexpectedly and
give out errors. Robots will collect information about us, so they can become a tool in the
hands of intruders. Robots can cause emotional attachment. Robots of the future will exist
at the junction of two worlds - virtual and real - and will be able to take advantage of both.
All information on the Internet and the possibilities of their artificial bodies will be
accessible to them. It will be difficult for us to compete with them.
I don't think that robots would take over human jobs in the future. At least not most
of them. Employees are consumers. They make money and use that money to buy things.
For the economy to work you need supply and demand. Robots taking over human jobs
would take away the demand. You can't replace humans unless we stop using money and
people get things for free.
It is not a bad thing if the robots do jobs especially a dangerous ones such as in
nuclear power stations and some complicated job. But the problem in the future
concerning robotics technology could be cyber attack, cyber crime and cyber terrorism.
Your personal robot for instance could be hacked and reprogrammed remotely to do other
jobs than it is originally supposed to perform. How much can we protect such threat? Even
these days nations are through such threats.