COIT20249: Use of Robotics - Information Technology Assignment

IT Assignment

Internal Code: MAS3237 Case Study: The term Roboticsrefers to the design, development and use of robots which are automated machines that can accomplish a range of tasks in a variety of scenarios. Robots were first commercialised when they were integrated into factory assembly linesin order to streamline and improve manufacturing productivity.The first popular application of robotics wasin the car industry. In the 21 st Century, robots have increasingly been used to complete tasks that may be unsafeortedious forhumans this has led to the integration of robots into the mining and transportation industries and the military.The use of robots is expected to double by the year 2020. This will impact on how businesses operate and the economies of countries across the world (New Media Consortium, 2016). Increasingly robots are also being used in the home. One of the most popular applications is that of the robot vacuum cleaner. Other robots that are increasing in popularity are gutter cleaners and lawn mowers. There is significant interest in howwork environments will be affected by the growing dependence on robots and on how to ensure that they are autonomous, safe, and economical. In Queensland the State Government has introduced a program into State Schools that is designed to teach students coding and robotics from an early age. Referred to as #codingcountsthis action plan for education in Queensland is designed to prepare students for jobs of the future (Queensland Government, 2016). It is argued that outreach programs such as #codingcounts can make students better problem solvers through promoting robotics and programming.It is also felt that interaction with humanoid robots may help learnerswith learning disabilities to develop bettercommunication strategies and social skills. Whilst robots can make some work environments safer there are also potential problems. Is it ethically and morally responsible to manufacture robot workers that have the potential to take jobs from human workers? What happens when a robot hurts or injures a human or destroys property? Who is responsible, the manufacturer of the robot, the programmer who wrote the code to operate the robot, or the person who bought it and set it to work?There are also potential security problems. How can you prevent a robot being hacked and having someone take over control of the robot to commit a crime? Questions: 1. Definition/s of robotic technology and the current use of robots. This investigation must consider different types of robots used in various industries and in different parts of the world. As a minimum, consider the industries currently in your organisation’s business scope and the industries the organisation is considering toenter in the next five years when it plans to expand across Australian and into Asia (see case scenario). Your report must identify actual examples and should not just focus on generic uses of robotic technology. 2. Based on the findings from the previous section, propose how robotic technology could be incorporated into your organisation’s operations in the future. Discuss both short term and long term options from both industry and geographical perspectives to implement the strategy in your organisation.