As technology advances and our capacity to outfit robots with human traits
Instead of focusing on expanding the minds and hearts of their droids, the gang at Sarcos Robotics is instead focusing on beefing up the physical traits of their robots so that us humans can use our natural mental and emotional capabilities and make them do our bidding. As folks who have no interest in toiling for robotkind in a Skynet-controlled world, we’re all for it.
With that in mind, scope out the Utah-based firm’s Guardian GT, a human-controlled robotic system with a pair of seven-foot-long arms that are each capable of lifting 500 pounds. Mounted on a wheeled base, the arms smoothly and accurately mimic the movements of their operator.
Also capable of doing more intricate tasks like welding and joining, the Guardian GT’s dexterity comes from its human-like proportions and the touch feedback it can provide during operation.
According to Sarcos CEO Ben Wolff (who argues his point further in a totally non-biased piece entitled “Why Human-Controlled, Force-Multiplying Robots Are the Future of Work on Earth”), creations like Guardian GT will become more commonplace as time advances.
“While I think that we will see increasing amounts of autonomy and AI,” Wolff told Wired. “I think the real role in work generally is for us to find as humans how to maximize the utility of robots. Allow them to do what they’re really good at while still relying on what humans are best at, which is wisdom and judgment.”
For a look at the GT in action and some other projects from Sarcos, here’s CNBC’s new report:
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