This topic emerged through a screening of emerging issues in science, technology and society in the context of the FET CSA OBSERVE.

http://www.horizon-observatory.eu/radar-en/index.php

The big picture

Throughout the OBSERVE screening period robotics was an extremely dynamic field both in S&T sources and wider public debate. This was driven on the one hand by spectacular breakthroughs most notably in the field of deep learning and autonomous robotics. On the other hand social experiments and art projects such as the hitchhiking robot and the trust inspiring robot (Boxie) as well as popular fiction and movies featuring robots and AI fuelled the robotics discourse. Finally, in the ongoing debates around automation of ever more human activities and industry 4.0 robots form a core element. Aspects related to new forms of interactions between humans and machines are captured under human machine symbiosis.

Specifically with respect to advances in robotics the following elements emerged:

Advances in robotics will be achieved by combining biology, material science and computer technology

To build robots is an interdisciplinary venture by nature. In the future, efficient and broadly applicable robots will be available because research has successfully combined insights from biology (robots inspired by plants, octopus or insects, swarms of robots with emergent behaviours) and material science (evolving and shape-changing robots) has successfully mapped those advances into information systems. Source: FET Projects;

Robot to robot collaborations

Communication and collaboration between robots without human interference is possible now. In science fiction self governing robot swarms have long been imagined. Source: Aggregation of several;

Interdisciplinary research to build context-aware robots

Robotics is the branch of electronic and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science that deals with the design, construction and operation of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. Whereas robots are already in use in production environments and other con-texts where simple and fixed tasks need to be done, autonomous, rule-based and con-text-sensitive “behaviour” is currently the dominant research challenge in robotics. Thus, more research will be needed in the future in the areas of context awareness, embodied cognition, autonomous systems, and human-robot-interaction. Source: FET Proposals;

Robot learning

One of the most discussed topics in the field of robotics in 2015 was new ways of deep robot learning including learning from watching, reading and playing and storing through “thought vectors”. Source: Aggregation of several;

Robot reasoning

A new generation of robots with cognitive planning and reasoning capabilities is being developed. They can handle uncertainty, act in messy unpredictable situations and carry out creative tasks like participating in a cartoon contest. Furthermore some re-searchers focus on a kind of artificial consciousness and self awareness - a concept that is highly contested by some philosophers. Source: Aggregation of several;

Bacteria-robot model systems

In a recent paper a Virginia Tech scientist used a mathematical model to demonstrate that bacteria can control the behaviour of an inanimate device like a robot. In agriculture, bacteria-robot model systems could enable robust studies that explore the interactions between soil bacteria and livestock. Source: DEEPSTUFF.ORG;

New materials for robot parts

New materials for robot parts enhance robot capabilities: Autonomous and soft materials enable changing of shape, artificial skin and muscles and thus allow for more flexible movement and functions. Source: XPRIZE;