complications , faster recovery times and , typically , much better outcomes .
Eldercare is the next frontier . We ’ re seeing significant aging , and people will typically have to leave their homes for facilities , either because they can ' t manage their medical regimen or because they lack mobility . Robots can provide assistance so that people can get reminders to take their medications ; help them get in and out of bed ; do simple things like picking up the remote control or glasses when they fall on the floor . This will give people a higher degree of independence . They can live better lives for a longer time .
Let ’ s talk transportation and selfdriving cars and trucks , which people might not think about as robotics . This is going to be a big revolution . There are five levels of autonomy for self-driving cars . Level one is very basic assistance to the driver . At level two and three , the car can park autonomously . Level four is what we ' re starting to see with Tesla , with extended periods of time where the car is driving in traffic well . At level five , there is no steering wheel — like an Uber with no driver .
Most automotive companies forecast that by 2020 , vehicles will be available with extended periods of time where you don ' t have to be in charge . Imagine : during 80 percent of your commute , you don ’ t have to hold the steering wheel . You read your newspaper , or drink coffee , or start to work even before you get to the office .
The estimate is that in 10 years we will see level-five cars without steering wheels .
If we have autonomous driving cars , we could put at least twice as many cars on the road without making traffic worse . This would actually improve traffic , but without investments in infrastructure .
This will also have an impact beyond the automotive sector . I think we ' re going to go from owning cars to cars becoming a service . I use my car two percent of its lifetime . The remaining 98 percent , it ' s just sitting in a parking lot . What if I could use ride sharing , and the cost of my car goes down significantly ?
So it ' s going to give people autonomy , it can change our infrastructure , and it ' s going to drive down costs .
What are the challenges for the field ? We need to make sure we can build robots that are as dexterous as humans . Robots are far from possessing that level of dexterity . We also need more flexible materials and fine-tuned sensors .
We ’ re also relatively far from having the kind of artificial intelligence that would allow robots to actually reason about the world around them and interact with people in a way that feels natural . We need interfaces that work for people who don ’ t have a degree in computer science or have never used a computer . We need to make sure we don ' t build a digital divide between those who can use this technology and those who can ' t .
Finally , the price of robotic systems has to come down so they are accessible to everyone . Robots have to be affordable both in the industrialized world and the developing world .
The most important thing we can say is to make sure you get a good education . Because no matter what , the world is changing rapidly , and education allows you to ride the wave rather than be left behind .
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