Technology and social change.
Robots are coming!
We are living in the age of accelerated transformation. Blurring the lines of our physical, digital, and biological worlds, the gap between man and machine are closing. This revolution with the fusion of technologies, advancement in connectivity and technology breakthroughs- Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Internet of things, 3D printing, Autonomous cars has brought up a new set of challenges and opportunities in the industries throughout.
The previous revolutions- First, Second and Third Industrial Revolutions gave the world an opportunity to experiment with steam power, electricity, digital technology and more, but the application and development of technology have been impacting the way industries and businesses work around the world. Customer interaction has taken over the priority list of companies, with design led tech brands (AirBnB, Apple, Ikea, Tesla, IBM) prioritizing personalisation and customer experiences. Digital transformation is hence making its way to the top of their priority list.
According to the World Economic Forum (2015), the key differences between the earlier revolutions and the fourth industrial revolution are speed, multi-disciplinary and the scale of impact.
It has been noted that previous industrial revolutions comparatively took numerous years to unfold. Today’s revolution is engulfing us at an accelerated rate. With its impact not subjected to just one area- Nanotechnology, brain research, 3D printing, materials science, computing, networks, the touched areas are spreading over day by day. With this combination, a very strong force is created making it huge and impactful. In addition, the accessibility and affordability of complex technologies will spread them farther and faster.
Also, with this revolution, entire systems are changing and innovating rather than single product or service innovation. For instance, as observed by Klaus (2016), the personal transport-sharing platform Uber is producing an entirely new mobility system. It is creating the shared economy.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought us with imagining a world where robots and humans coexist. There are robots created that will be helping us a) in the home- Spotmini, Cozmo, b) at work- Baxter, Kilobots, Da Vinci Surgical system, c) everyday bots- Pepper, Sophia, icub, d) going to extremes- Oceanone, BionicANTs, Octobot, e) hero bots- Little Ripper, Chimp, R5 Valkyrie etc.
The most beautiful and touching instances of technological advances affecting society I have felt are when am exploring a new place all on my own and there’s an app for it!
One of the most important example for me is GPS — The Global Positing System. When I came across the functioning of this system during one of my visits to The Science Museum, I was floored!
The information I received there and the way it affects me, students our age is how I truly see the beauty of technological advances.
- The system was originally developed by the US government
- GPS receivers pick up signals transmitted from GPS satellites. The signals contain accurate time information. This is calculated by an atomic clock inside the satellite.
- It’s based on the basic Physics formula — Time X Speed = Distance where, Time = (difference b/w the time signal was sent & it was received) Speed = speed of light Distance= the distance between the reciever and sender
- The GPS receiver calculates the difference between the time the signal was sent and the time it was recieved. Multilplied by speed of light, this gives distance between receiver and the satellite.
- To determine the exact location of a minimum of 3 satellite readings are required. This process is called trilateration.
- 24 satellites are continuously transmitting signals to determine the correct location.
So, the next time we are are trying to find the distance b/w home and college- 3 satellites are helping us determine that.
