Over the course
of human history the emergence of certain new technologies have globally transformed
life as we know it. Disruptive technologies like fire, the printing press, oil,
and television have dramatically changed both the planet we live on and mankind
itself, most often in extraordinary and unpredictable ways. In pre-history these
disruptions took place over hundreds of years. With the time compression induced
by our rapidly advancing technology, they can now take place in less than a generation.
We are currently at the edge
of one such event. In ten years robotic systems will fly our planes, grow our
food, explore space, discover life saving drugs, fight our wars, sweep our homes
and deliver our babies. In the process, this robotics driven disruptive event
will create a new 200 billion dollar global industry and change life as you now
know it, forever. Just as my children cannot imagine a world without electricity,
your children will never know a world without robots. Come take a bold look at
the future and the opportunities for Mechanical Engineers that wait there.
The
Three Laws of Robotics are:
1.
A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being
to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings
except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must
protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the
First or Second Law