We cannot say that robots are among us yet, but they already affect our lives. Sometimes it is hard to imagine even how many everyday things are actually related to robotics. Let's see how far the robotics integration has come in our life.

There were certain prerequisites for the emergence of robot technology, especially economic. It is logical that by engaging in an industrial business you would want to achieve three things:

1. produce more products in less time;
2. make production continuous, around the clock;
3. spend less and less money on it.

This could indeed increase profits. However, implementation requires either a larger number of workers or their replacement with something more technological (one that does not need to get wages and saves work conditions). “Something” refers to mechanized and automated systems such as industrial machines and other means.

People used various mechanisms and put forward the idea of a “mechanical worker” long time before the invention of the first full-fledged robots (Mokrenko & Yadlovs’ka, 2020). Despite this, early examples of robots were not related to manufacturing, did not affect a significant number of people outside this field of development, except the artistic sphere, social entertainment. Instead, the big robotics integration began and this concerns everyone – the ability to get what you need in the right quantity and at a reasonable price, without waiting too long.

Nowadays, the vast majority of products are not made by hand. The percentage of working hours of machines exceeded that of humans (Hurzhiy et al., 2021, p. 229). Clothes, phones and computers, furniture, cars and many other things we use every day without thinking about are very probably made by factory robots, which are programmed to perform a specific action, for example, to collect parts or pack the manufactured. This hardly sounds like something depicted in science fiction – but it is truly impressive how much production and, accordingly, the incredible scale of the sales market is based on robotics.

Trade is one of the engines’ progress, another is curiosity. People couldn't learn anything about places they couldn't reach and couldn't survive in. These places included the seabed and other planets. So, robots – underwater drones, mars rovers and etc. – were sent there. This not only provided knowledge about the world we live in, but also encouraged engineers to seek new technical solutions and improve designs applicable to diversify devices.

Therefore, new developments became better and better, and need to create tools capable of making smooth movements similar to or even more precise than human ones not only made robots a worthy replacement for ordinary workers/researchers, but made it possible to use them in medicine, especially prosthetics.

Unfortunately, any promising technology can be adapted to war: military robotics integration is embodied in ground, air and sea combat drones. Despite the use of robots instead of soldiers on the frontline that saves their lives, drones can also be used for terror.

As already mentioned, people strive to make goods cheaper, so it is not surprising that now robots are available not only to scientists, military or medical personnel, but to anyone. You can buy household robots which will keep your home tidy (take at least the well-known robot vacuum cleaners, smart homes, etc.) or robot assistants; in addition, robotaxis are becoming increasingly popular transport that could eliminate drivers’ errors and fatigue. Robots can even be used for entertainment as just to have a nice time, as toys for children or as pets for allergy sufferers.

Thus, our everyday life is closely connected with robots – sometimes not directly, but in a huge number of areas they have an impact. Think about next: the robots described above are just programmed for specific actions, controlled, with limited information analysis capabilities. This situation is likely to change quickly in the current era of artificial intelligence. Perhaps one day the difference between modern robots and humans will be almost invisible. But even now, looking at the path of robotics insulation, it can be argued that technology is definitely capable of making our lives easier and better.

References:

1. Hurzhiy, A. M., Nelʹha, A. T., Spivak, V. M., & Ityakin, O. S. (2021). Osnovy avtomatyky ta robototekhniky. Harant SV.
2. Mokrenko, P., & Yadlovsʹka, V. (2020). Ohlyad rozvytku robototekhniky. Chastyna 1. (Robototekhnika do XX stolittya). Automation, Measuring and Management / Автоматика, вимірювання та керування, 67–77. https://doi.org/10.23939/amm2020.01.067