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Page 5 de Silva. Intell Robot 2021;1(1):3-17 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/ir.2021.01

Unmanned Naval Vehicle that we developed in Figure 1 in our laboratory (Industrial Automation
Laboratory or IAL at the University of British Columbia or UBC) is indeed a robot. It has a programmable
propelling platform with multiple sensors (to measure the pH value, dissolved oxygen, electrical
conductivity, temperature, and the oxidation-reduction potential of water). It is able to autonomously
navigate in a water body and map out the quality of the water in a particular region, which can be used to
provide warnings to the users, determine the source of pollution or contamination, and also suggest to the
relevant authorities suitable corrective actions .
[4]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are other types of mobile robots. A UAV that is used in our
laboratory is shown in Figure 2. A similar UAV is used in our collaborative project in environmental
[5]
monitoring and field mapping . Due to their capabilities of autonomous navigation in extensive and
traditionally unreachable regions and advanced sensing (such as optical and thermal imaging and laser
scanning), UAVs are replacing costly, hazardous, and manual ways of inspection and surveillance in various
applications. For example, when compared with the manual and ground-based approaches, UAVs are able
to capture more useful and detailed information of petrochemical operations, including wellheads,
pipelines, boiler systems, tanks, refineries, and furnaces, in a consistent, continuous, accurate, fast, and
repeated manner, even in environments where human operators find it time-consuming, difficult and
hazardous to function. The data/information collected in this manner can be further processed in a ground-
based control platform and used to localize faults and malfunctions in the facility. Based on that
information, a UAV is able to deploy the needed equipment, including robotic devices, to that location for
detailed diagnosis and possible correction of the problem.

As another example, consider the smart prosthetic limb shown in Figure 3. It is able to adapt to different
[6]
users and conditions of the terrain intelligently. Also, it uses expectational knowledge during walking, for
example, to decide whether to step over an obstacle or to avoid it.

2.1. Common myths of robotics
There have been many myths, misnomers, and misunderstandings surrounding robots. Some are:

1. Robots have capabilities that equate to or exceed those of humans. This is not true. The intelligence of
today’s robots does not exceed even that of a dog! It is inconceivable that robot intelligence can reach that of
human intelligence.
2. Robots will steal our spouses, and fight wars, and defeat us. This is very unrealistic and will never happen!
3. Robots will create mass unemployment: people said this concerning the first Industrial Revolution as well.
However, in the end, the industrial revolution (and industrial automation) gave the workers more free time
(including the five-day workweek), moved them away from hazardous and difficult work environments,
improved the general quality of life, and created higher-paying and more challenging employment (for our
friends and relative, if not for us).

While many positive things can be said about robotization, the reasons for the underlying
misunderstandings are several. They include fantasy, movies, and popular/social media, unrealistic
expectations by the robot enthusiasts, slow developments in the field, inadequate expertise and capabilities
for the necessary developments, the lack of necessary technologies (mechanical, electronic, and computer
science, etc.) to achieve the goals, weak collaboration in the beginning (mainly among the electrical and
mechanical engineers, and computer scientists, but this culture has been changed with the establishment of
leading robotics institutes); and the lack of adequate “robotic intelligence” for various autonomous
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operations. See the related video interview of the author .