by Christina Pomoni

Created on: August 05, 2008   Last Updated: November 30, 2008

Humans will over time share the planet with intelligent robots, able to perform efficiently all trivial, but also highly specialized tasks.

Today, robots are mostly used in medicine. Their main application is in difficult operations, namely head surgeries that cannot be performed with the traditional method, or in complex laparoscopic surgeries which require delicate handling. What enhances the business value of robotics is the fact that commercial computer hardware is the key to building a reliable robot, from fast processors to cheap flash memory and high-capacity hard drives. Moreover, robots serve niche markets, with annual sales of about $5.5 billion for industrial robots (the type that automotive companies use to weld and paint cars) and about $1 billion for robots used in education, entertainment and cleaning homes.

Robots are also effectively used in supply chain management. Globalization, outsourcing and information technology have enabled many organizations to operate collaborative supply networks where each business partner focuses on its specialization and on a few key strategic activities. Particularly, in supply chain management, robots facilitate distribution networks by being used in warehouse activities like cross docking, palletizing, kitting, tagging, and identifying products. In that way, a highly automated warehouse has become a core part of the supply chain.

Recent studies have shown that the information flow from the environment to the robots, and then from the robots back to the environment can be measured by recording what the robots see and what they do. In that way, better robots can be designed and built thus maximizing the information flow within the organization which automatically implies more flexible, capable systems, quicker operations and higher profit margins.

Another effective application of robots is their use to visually assist consumers with sight deficiency in huge retail stores. Specially-designed robots guide the consumer through the aisles waiting to take instructions through a small directory of products, which is attached to its handle. The consumer asks and the robot replies by voice. Then, the robot uses its radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader in order to locate the desired products. The store's RFID tags assist the robot to navigate the lanes as well as to locate products.

In the future, robotic-aided emergency surgeries would be performed in space shuttles according to a simulation of the harsh environment

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