Robotics: French fries, dead spiders & Gen Z users

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics slowly take over each industry, the world becomes a different place for everyone. While some fear losing their jobs, others rejoice ease of work.

The latest recipient of automation is French fries with Flippy 2 robot from Miso Robotics in Pasadena, California. Like robots in car plants and manufacturing, the robot uses cameras and AI to cook many meals with different recipes, removing the need for catering staff and stepping up the process at drive-throughs.

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Some robots are downright creepy; so much so that they’re being called ‘necrobotics’. Like, Rice University mechanical engineers have successfully manipulated dead spider legs with a puff of air to serve as grabbers.

At the same time, some are attempting to save ancient arts with the help of robots, now that humans are abandoning it. In Malaysia, college lecturer Ahnaf Hakimi Ahmad is trying to save the ancient tradition of shadow puppetry with 3D-printed figures operated by robotics instead of humans.

What’s driving the need for automation?

It was COVID-19 that started the implementation of robots in social settings. A US National Center for Biotechnology Information study found that social robot adoption during this period was strongly related to the use of this technology for crisis management.

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Also, the new generation consumer seeks often seeks automation over human interaction. For example, hotels adopted service robots, which were welcomed by new age guests. According to another study, Generation X guests tended to be less interested in experiencing service encounters with service robots compared with Generation Y and Generation Z guests, as guests from Generation X believed that service robots offered more disadvantages.

Work related accidents in factories and manufacturing plants too are driving the need for robots in the workplace.