How robots will change our world

Some fear that robots could do half our jobs and even wipe us out. But is that likely? 

Smart machines already make our cars and clean our homes. Soon they could drive us about, teach our children, and keep our parents company.

While dealing with the ethical concerns about Artificial Intelligence, Bennie Mols and Nieske Vergunst reveal the history, present and future of robots. They show how moving AI could allow the lame to walk again, rescue survivors from collapsed buildings, and boost the global fight against hunger and pollution.

Welcome to a vivid view of our robot future. With 60 colour photos.

Topics 

From dolls to industrial workers, a history of robots

How robots respond to their surroundings

What robots learn about human speech

Why self-driving cars are safer and greener

The possibilities of robots in education

Meet the 'cyborgs' who learn to walk again

Why evolution designs the best robots

Will rogue robots take over the world?

Using robots as weapons and drones

What the future holds: 2100, a Robot Odyssey

Table of Contents

1 A short history of robots, from dolls to androids

Machines as man throughout history

Mechanical dolls: forerunners of the robot

Enter the working humanoid robots

The next step: android robots that look like you

Uncanny valley: the problem with creepy robots

 2. How do robots see their surroundings?

Getting to grips with a new environment

Seeing through the eyes of a robot

Training robots to recognise objects

Robots can see what a person cannot see

Feeling with whiskers: sensing the way forward

Robots use electronic ears to listen

 3. How does a robot brain work?

A robot must learn to think like a human

Keeping it simple with an insect brain

Machine learning is trial and error

Robots can learn without supervision

The football world cup for robots

Developing robot emotional intelligence

 4. Giving humans a helping hand

Robots suck: doing the dirty jobs at home

A robotic arm reaches deep into the supply chain

Joseph Engelberger, father of car factory robots

Co-bots will work alongside people

Coping with variation is Amazon's challenge

Building a robot car

 5. Learning to speak to people

The problem with machine talk

SHRDLU! The first experiment in robot conversation

Toilets are hidden: translation problems

A robotic teacher never runs out of patience

 6. Robots get emotional

Emotional robots encourage humans to interact with them

A robot can work out how you are feeling

Why am I afraid? Understanding human emotions Help! My robot looks angry

Establishing a bond with a robot

 7. Humans need robots and robots need humans

Meet the robot psychologists

Under-promise and over-deliver performance

Silicon Valley utopias vs calm technology

What is the best ratio of robots to humans?

In the rubble: the search and rescue robot

The paradox of robotization

 8. Humans need robots and robots need humans

Meet the robot psychologists

Under-promise and over-deliver performance

Silicon Valley utopias vs calm technology

What is the best ratio of...

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