Humans and Robots test case Forum: SSI-List
Thread: Humans and Robots test case
> What we need is a test case. Something that shows that one or
more
> activities required for "assembly, mining, refining or fabrication
of a
> multitude of discrete components" can or cannot be done by some
> assembly of robots or humans. This test case has to be something
that
> we can physically replicate here on earth so that physical
> demonstrations are possible.
>
> Then the basic assumptions that are involved can be proven or
> disapproved. Since these are the same assumptions that any
engineering
> team will have to deal with when given the REAL task
to "assembly,
> mining, refining or fabrication of a multitude of discrete
components"
> in space it would be excellent to have some basis for them to make
a
> decision on. Or at least justification for which ever approach
they choose.
>
> Mitchell James
> www.InnerTransit.org
state of the art for robotics.
If, or when, a large project is in the planning stage, I'm sure the
planners will do a system's analysis and isolate the tasks to be
performed and determine which can be performed robotically, which
need further R&D and which, if any, require human presence. Then
they'll design the mission accordingly.
In case I haven't made my position clear in this ongoing dialogue
we've been having, let me do so now; I'm not in the least
philosophically opposed to the position of orbital work being done
robotically. I'm skeptical that large projects can be done entirely
by robots, but if the technology can be demonstrated then as you've
written, the costs could come down considerably. I'm just allowing
for human presence as a means of circumventing robotic limitations.
It is this principle that I'd like my debating partners to
acknowledge. That'll take the wind out of my sail :)
That said, you can interpret everything I've written that requires
human presence as being substitutable with robots if they can indeed
perform the required tasks and are cost effective.
TangoMan