Detail

Jobs will soon be in demand in about half of occupations, especially occupations related to manufacturing, transportation, mining and agriculture. But if devices made of hard materials are already entering production, soft robots, whose elements are made of soft materials, are a fairly new technology.

Automation will impact many professions in the next two decades. However, there are still technical and psychological obstacles to its implementation. Our research shows that new soft and flexible robots may hold promise for this kind of advancement.
– pay attention to the authors of the article.

A new study has found that soft robots cause less fear in people than all-metal ones and are more adaptable to working together.

Participants in the new study were shown videos of the robots in action. Then the subjects shared their impressions. Speaking of soft robots, they assessed that the risks to humans when interacting with them are lower than with robots made of hard materials. Lower levels of anxiety and fear were noted. Subjects also expressed less doubt about successful collaboration and were less concerned about whether a robot would replace a person in the workplace.

Previous similar tests showed that: Anxiety scores increase when robots made of solid materials approach humans. They remained low in the current study.

If the interaction speed of subjects who have not worked with robots before is high, their anxiety also increases. Conversely, people who had experience working with robots preferred a faster pace of activity. Probably this is a matter of habit – when a person is convinced that the robot does not get out of control and does not resort to unpredictable actions, he gets used to it and no longer thinks about the danger.

what’s next

As explained at Washington State University (USA), the testing carried out was the first stage. Next, tests are planned in the laboratory, where research participants can interact live with soft robots. In addition to surveying participants, scientists will also measure physiological responses: heart rate and skin galvanic responses, which are changes in the skin’s electrical resistance in response to emotional stress.

It is stated that one of the main advantages of soft robots is low cost. For example, the cost of a simple robot used to pick apples is about $30,000and all costs related to soft work, including design, – less than 5000.

Considering the psychological aspect, soft jobs are not only in demand in production, but can also help the elderly or disabled at home or in healthcare institutions.