Mobile Robots in the Real World_A practical example

The following is a basic example of how mobile robotics can and will replace human labour, for countless operations:

1. A small truck breaks down on the side of the road. It has a flat tyre.

2. A special vehicle repair service is alerted. Two small mobile robots (that work in unison) are sent to the truck. The robots are riding on a driverless platform.

3. When the robots reach the truck, they walk off the platform and approach the flat tyre.

4. A drone attached to a mobile robot detaches, and explicitly scans the immediate environment around the wheel. The 3D map developed by the drone is then uploaded to the robots.

5. A robot then scans the QR code on the truck, so the robots can know exactly what they are dealing with.

6. The programme for the robots to replace this particular trucks wheel is then immediately downloaded.

-The program has already been developed by the trucking company that made the vehicle. Using remote controlling, the wheel replacement sequence was prior acted-out and recorded, and put on a master robotics server. In effect, the robots only need to press the 'reply' button to know exactly what to do to replace the wheel.

7. The robots come across an unidentified component on the wheel, which stops the robots. The robots in turn dial-up a human remote-controller. The remote-controller then observes the problem --in this case let's say it's a stripped bolt-- and in turn over-rides the robots, and actively manipulates them, online, to attach a different gripper-tool to remove the stripped bolt.

-The remote-controller can do this quickly due to ultra-fast (almost no latency) 5g Internet technology, and also with the robots built-in boundary detection systems which effectively removes human clumsiness.

8. The remote-controller then hits a continue icon, which orders the robots to continue the wheel replacement sequence. The remote-controller then addresses a new task requiring human over-ride from a different robot, in a different location within the city (the remote-controller does not waste time waiting for anything).

9. After replacing the wheel in full-automation mode, the robots then post the broken wheel to an appropriate facility, via a driverless platform.

-Human intervention required 7 minutes (~$2) of remote human labour. Everything else was fully automated.

Ends.

The effect would be that traditional car breakdown services go bankrupt, because they cannot compete with new (and probably international) start-up's based online, that use human labour only when and as required, because the cost savings from automated systems are overwhelming.

The technology for all kinds of Internet-based services is already here. We're just waiting for driverless platforms to be distributed, which opens up the economic feasibility of moving into mobile robotics.



Ultimately, there will be no material need for anyone to leave their homes to get anything done in terms of living and working. The impact of mobile robotics will become even more extreme, when infrastructure is specifically built with easy robotics facilitation kept in mind.

From this point, the level of automation achievable will be remarkable. Progressive leaps in automation will only be a software upgrade away, and the demand for expensive on-site human labour will steadily fall away.

There's no reason to believe that this progression will not happen quickly. Again, all we are waiting for to start this revolution off is the implementation of driverless platforms, which will be the critical economic driver that makes the mass-implementation of mobile robotics make sense.

                                                  -Andrew Atkin

Note: There is also the possibility of location-based searching.

So, once you have gone through an operational sequence with a robot (let's say opening an industrial door), the video and robot command sequence is saved along with the location, down to about 1-foot accuracy. Hence, when another robot later comes to the door, you can command a video search based on the location, and the door opening sequence will be presented.

It will simply allow us to avoid unnecessary command repetition, and allow robots to move more quickly as they smooth-out their operation.

This would allow us to rapidly develop a 'hive mind' effect, and it would also be highly practical for developing certain kinds of training videos for people, etc.