How far is the rising service robot from the real service robot?

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According to IDC's latest report on the market share of commercial service robots in China's catering industry, the market size of China's commercial service robots will reach US$84 million (about 540 million yuan) in 2021, with a year-on-year growth rate of 110.4%, showing an explosive trend.

In fact, the research and development of robots in our country is not too late. In 1972, Jiang Xinsong, who worked in the Shenyang Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with two colleagues, began to draft a research application report on "Artificial Intelligence and Robots". This is the first suggestion made by Chinese scientists about robots, and it is also the first time that the concept of "robot" has appeared in an official document.

Jiang Xinsong believes that "the development of robots is an inevitable direction for the automation of equipment manufacturing industry, and is an important symbol of a country's industrial development and prosperity. " This sentence is very reasonable. We all know that the manufacturing level of aircraft, automobiles, and chips is the highest in the industry. It represents the real manufacturing strength of a country. The reason for this is that these industries are all competitions of comprehensive industrial chain technology. The same is true for the robot industry. From the hardware level of the robot itself, it belongs to the integration of a comprehensive high-precision industrial chain technology. From the software level, it is a symbol of the true intelligence of artificial intelligence.

Although from the data point of view, the global demand-side sales of service robots in 2021 will reach 14.6 billion US dollars, a growth rate of 32.2%; for example, the cooking robots and food delivery robots in the Winter Olympics are still vivid in my mind, and cleaning robots and delivery robots are everywhere. visible. However, these current service robots can only be regarded as a machine, not a human. There is still a long way to go from the definition of a real robot, but this must be the future trend.

So what is the core of a service robot? It is to be able to provide services, the most difficult of which is the home service robot, which is to achieve the human-like level, whether it is the appearance of the body, the flexibility of the limbs, or the communication of language and so on. In one sentence, it is the three elements of a service robot: sharp ears, bright mind, and flexible hands and feet. It is necessary to perceive the environment and emotions, as well as learn and plan, and perform tasks dexterously, so behind these functions involves the cross-cooperation of software, hardware and multiple intelligent technologies.

Among them, "intelligent ears and eyesight" means that vision, hearing and communication can be better achieved with the help of computer vision and speech technology. The "brain light" is the core of the robot, the brain of the robot, and the most difficult part of AI at present. It is not only the speed of computing, but also the ability to learn by itself. The most important thing is to have the ability to think, or To have a philosophical ideology. Of course, this is also the most dangerous part, and the most controversial part of tech ethics. "Flexible hands and feet" refers to advanced manufacturing technology. We know that the precise combination of a person's bones and neural networks controls the human body's ability to move flexibly, and the body movements of the human body are not only controlled by the brain, but also controlled by nerves and the body. Instinct memory response part, these complex, fast and flexible control systems constitute this flexibility in humans and other animals. Then this requires not only advanced manufacturing technology and precision assembly technology, but also various sensing sensors and ultra-fast computing of AI computers to achieve.

Although these current service robots are still in the stage of machines and have not yet entered the stage of real robots and intelligent people, with the continuous deepening of technical paths and the continuous advancement of software and hardware research and development, humanoid robots will eventually welcome to a situation of symbiosis with our human society.

So, at this time, we humans are left with a very important question, that is, when humanoid robots are realized, do we humans still need to live with humans? Will the current marriage system of mankind completely collapse? Will human fertility ever end? After all, when a robot understands people better than humans, and is a good partner who is not tired, has no negative emotions, and understands us better, the key is to customize the body and appearance in the way we want.

When a robot that can be more optimized than humans in terms of physical hardware and thinking software enters our lives, it will inevitably lead to a profound change in our human society. In the future, will humans rule robots or robots will rule human society? This is a question that requires awareness and serious consideration.