Automation - can clever devices be the answer to saving energy?

For more information,transcripts and to join the discussion, visit: http://www.commentvisions.com/2008/07/01/topics/technology/automation-and-rob...

"Solutions to the energy crisis will come from all sectors of science and technology. This months Comment Visions looks at one of the most fascinating and futuristic areas of research; robotics.

Stefano Stramigioli is professor of the chair of Advanced Robotics at the University of Twente, in the Netherlands. Over the past decade he has been researching intelligent machines and their practical applications. Advanced robotics, he believes, can reap positive benefits for societies as the automation of tasks by increasingly intelligent machines grows more widespread.

The PC revolutionised technology in the late 20th century and Professor Stramigioli believes robots can make the same sort of impact on the technological landscape in the early 21st century.

A new age of robotics is coming as the next generation of machines develop from research projects into public initiatives and in this Comment Visions we ask Professor Stramigioli how he thinks this age will look. What are the practical applications of advanced robotics in a changing world and what role can robotics play in challenging the energy crisis?

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Automation and robotics
• Technology
• Energy
• Environment