Even before the pandemic, upwards of one million people per year retired in the U.S. The onset of the pandemic triggered even faster retirement, worsening an ongoing labor shortage.
The manufacturing industry has increasingly relied on robotic technologies for years. Yet, advances in artificial intelligence and robotic innovation have opened the door for more robots in other fields and applications.
Are you curious about what kinds of new robotics you may see soon? Keep reading for several robotic technologies that are changing reality in 2023.
Ocean Robots
The ocean remains a largely unexplored area of the planet. The incredible pressures at the ocean floor are part of the reason for that lack of exploration. It takes a lot of very complex engineering to make it possible for human beings to get even close to those depths.
Robots don’t need things like pressurized spaces to provide them with oxygen. That makes them ideal for deep-sea exploration. Of course, you need components for those robots that don’t require a lot of hands-on attention, such as greaseless cam followers.
Micro-Robots
Micro-robots are a long-standing element of science fiction. Writers imagine tiny robots serving in a medical capacity, repairing everything from individual cells to organs and bones.
Well, it turns out that the future is closer than most people expected. There are now micro-robots that could potentially take chemotherapy drugs straight to the cancer cells using magnets for guidance.
While still in the earliest stages of development, it’s one step closer to a science-fictional future.
Medical Robots
Labor shortages plague the medical profession, in particular. When doctors or nurses get overworked and make mistakes, it can have devastating consequences.
There are now medical robots that can handle tasks like disinfection spaces using UV light, as well as handling basic screening duties with onboard tools to take vital signs and patient temperature.
Farming Robots
Another area where labor shortages can hit especially hard is farming. Historically, you need a certain number of bodies to do harvesting for particular kinds of crops.
There are now early attempts at making harvesting robots in Japan to help solve exactly this kind of labor shortage problem.
Tattoo Robot
Okay, it’s not exactly a robot that gives people tattoos, but rather a robot arm that assists a tattoo artist. This kind of assistive robot could help keep tattoos more sterile during application and reduce the risks of infection afterward.
Robotic Technologies and the Future
While scientists and writers often talk about the potential of robotic technologies, the actual technology has often lagged behind. In recent years, though, tech and software advancements made robotics more viable than ever.
That paired with labor shortages, has opened the door for robotics to make inroads in places other than manufacturing. True, you shouldn’t expect to see robot nurses or self-aware robot ocean explorers anytime soon. Robots will play more of a role in the world than ever before.
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