In this week’s topic, I found the intersection of robotics,
computers, and art fascinating. Robotics traces its roots back to
the printing press, and was further revolutionized by Henry Ford’s assembly lines.
However, the notion of Taylorism (a theory that aimed to improve economic
efficiency) created problems as low to middle wage workers were “dehumanized”
when they did the same job over and over again in an assembly line factory.
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| Assembly Line in one of Ford's Factories |
These problems
inspired Karel Capek’s 1920 science fiction “R.U.R.”, which was a screenplay
that first introduced both the word and image of a robot. It's incredible to believe that the notion of a robot was actually first conceived on the artistic side,
not the technology side. I now realize that even though we may have the technology, we also need the artistic/creative side to make the technology fully functional.
The industrial revolution, assembly line, and subsequent
mechanization of workers created a negative image of robots in western culture.
I’ve seen a number of Hollywood movies about robots, with the help of
artificial intelligence, becoming so smart that they turn on their own creators:
humans. However, there has also been instances where movies align with Machiko
Kusahara’s point of view on Japanese robotics culture. For example, in the film “Edge
of Tomorrow,” Earth is invaded by an alien race and nearly every soldier on the
battlefield looks like a robot. The soldiers in the film utilized robotics to
aide them in fighting the war.
My perspective of robotics and technology more closely align
with that of the Japanese culture’s. From Kusahara’s lecture, the Japanese have
an optimistic view of machines helping modernize society. These machines could
range from sophisticated robots that provide search and rescue operations
during natural disasters to simple mechanical tools for daily use. Upon viewing
Rodney Brooks’ Ted Talk, “Robots Will Invade Our Lives,” I remember my family
used to use the iRobot vacuum machine when I was still in middle school.
Overall, I believe that art, technology, and robotics highly complement each
other and even depend on each other to move forward with innovation.
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| iRobot Floor Vacuum Cleaner |
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| Japanese Search and Rescue Robot |
Works Cited
Brooks, Rodney. "Robots Will Invade Our Lives." Rodney Brooks:. Ted Talk, Feb. 2003. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
Nasowitz, Dan. "Meet Japan's Earthquake Search-and-Rescue Robots." Popular Science. N.p., 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
Uconline. "Robotics Pt3." Youtube. N.p., 16 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
Uconlineprogram. "Robotics MachikoKusahara 1." YouTube. YouTube, 14 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
WarnerBrosPictures. "Edge of Tomorrow - Official Main Trailer [HD]." YouTube. YouTube, 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
I agree with your point of view that "art, technology, and robotics highly complement each other" because they are not replacing one another but rather moving forward together to develop better robots. It is interesting how you brought up various examples of new robotic developments and how they are used in the society. I think robots are not "invading" our lives but rather making changes to our lifestyle just like how industrialization changed lifestyles almost a century ago. On a side note, the trailer of Edge f Tomorrow fits great with this week's topic! Thanks for sharing!
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