Public-facing robotic technology could help mitigate the damages of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's time to welcome the robot revolution.
In 2016, I unpacked my luggage at a newly constructed New York hotel only to realize that I had forgotten my toothpaste. I called room service, and a chipper voice responded “Someone will bring it right up.” Two minutes later, I opened my door to discover an object resembling a trash can on wheels, equipped with a lid, a large button and a small digital screen. I gingerly pushed the button and the lid opened, revealing a toothpaste tube. The digital display flashed “Thank you.
But market-ready robotic technologies exist, and they have the potential to mitigate the damage of the pandemic. Why don’t we finally welcome the long-promised robotic takeover? The self-lacing sneakers from “Back to the Future” are not yet commonplace enough to save my daughter from tying her own shoes. The flying cars from “Blade Runner” still aren’t clogging Los Angeles’ skies. The only Robocop in Detroit is an unfinished bronze statue.The reasons behind this are objective: Robotics innovation is technically challenging, the capital costs of starting a robotics company are high, customization is complex, deployment is costly and safety regulation is onerous.
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