Robotic Arm Technology Has Rapidly Improved
Cybernetics professor Kevin Warwick professes to be the “first Cyborg.” Project Cyborg began in August of 1998, when Warwick implanted a computer chip into his left arm, which later allowed him to open doors, move a robotic hand and operate an electronic wheelchair. The implant also allowed him to tap into the Internet at Columbia University in New York and control a robotic arm at the University of Reading in the UK. Another one of the experiments tested telepathic communication between two individuals by way of implants. In the 70s, researchers felt that robotic arms would be a vital asset to the workplace. Little did they know, humans would consider fusing themselves with this technology to become super-human cyborgs!
Starting in 1975, robotic arms have been used for industrial purposes. In some cases, they do the work more quickly, more accurately and more efficiently than human workers ever could. Yet in other instances, they simply perform work that is too monotonous, dangerous or undesirable for men and women. In the US auto industry, for example, there is one robotic arm for every ten workers. Industrial robots lift heavy objects, handle chemicals, and paint and assemble parts. Rather than replace jobs, the robotic system is intended to free up more creative, fulfilling work for people instead. After all, the Czech word “robota” translates to “drudgery work.”
The National Stroke Association says that stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States. It is caused by a disruption in the brain’s blood vessels and has left over four million Americans debilitated. Forty percent of stroke victims require some special care for their injury; 25% recover with minor impairments; 15% die after the incident; 10% can expect a full recovery and 10% require nursing home care. Doctors say rehabilitation is the key to a successful recovery and the NESS H200 robotic arm is helping patients relearn skills they lost during their stroke. The device delivers electrical stimulation to the patients’ hands while they’re eating, writing or drinking. The second part of the device, the robotic arm that attaches to the forearm and wrist, helps patients move their arms to strengthen the connection between mind to body. Over time, the body will just naturally move on its own again.
The first robotic arm was a crude device, similar to arcade games. However, the latest robotics automation technology has arms functioning more like the human anatomy, able to perform a wide range of motions, with fingers waving and wrists rotating. Perhaps the greatest challenge will be to devise a way to make these devices affordable to more people so it becomes a practical solution for hospitals, small businesses and homes.
The FIRST Robotics Program
In 1989, Dean Kamen started the FIRST Robotics program to inspire a generation of young people to pursue education and careers in science, robotics engineering, math and technology. The program’s acronym means “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” He also hoped that students would leave the program as self-confident, dedicated and giving individuals. The charity is based in Manchester, New Hampshire but reaches more than 42,000 high school students in 40 regional competitions and spanning 42 countries from Germany, Chile and Brazil to Israel, Mexico and the Philippines. In addition to the well-known competitions, they’ve also provided more than $9 million in college scholarships.
FIRST Robotics founder Dean Kamen is an inventor, physicist, engineer and entrepreneur. He is perhaps best known for inventing the Segway Human Transporter, an environmentally friendly short distance travel solution. He’s also developed the HomeChoice portable dialysis machine (Baxter Healthcare) and the Independence IBOT 4000 mobile robot system (Johnson & Johnson). He’s currently working on a water purification system that promises to provide clean drinking water to 1.1 billion people around the world. For his efforts, he’s received the Heinz Award in Technology, the National Medal of Technology presented by President Clinton (2000) and the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2002), among others.
In the 2005 Skills Gap Report, it was discovered that 65% of America’s manufacturing base will experience moderate to severe skilled labor shortages in coming years. Similarly, the 2007 Reed Research and Control Engineering group found that the greatest challenge over the next five years will be the replacement of skilled employees. “The major problem that I see is that the media is constantly focusing on the negatives of industrial lay-offs and off-shoring, and scaring many graduates into alternative jobs,” said Graham Harris, president of Beckhoff Automation. “When was the last time you saw articles highlighting the need for skilled engineers at specific companies?” The FIRST Robotics program is one of the few major endeavors seeking to inspire new generations of skilled workers, particularly those specializing in medical robotics, hobby robotics and industrial robotics.
The impact of the FIRST Robotics Competition has been astounding. A Brandeis University Study found that participants of the FIRST Robotics programs were more likely to achieve a post-graduate degree and were more than 10 times as likely to have had an apprenticeship, internship or co-op job in their freshman year of college. Additionally, students were more than twice as likely to pursue a career in science and technology, three times as likely to major in engineering and four times as likely to pursue a career in engineering. Compared to their peers, FIRST Robotics students were also twice as likely to volunteer in their communities. Who knows what useful new robots these students may devise in the future?