Robots, Smart Materials, and their Future Impact on Humans Essay

Introduction

How can robots benefit the modern environment? This is one question that many technology experts keep on wondering and fail to get answers. Jonathan Rossiter, a professor of robotics at the University of Bristol and an EPSRC research fellow wrote a mind-blowing article that triggers thoughts among readers on this subject. The author, in his article, Robotics, Smart Materials, and their Future Impact for Humans employs various rhetorical devices in a bid to determine the next steps after the modern age of technology, where the use of robots is taking the society by storm. Reading the article makes one understand the positive use of robotics, and how they can benefit the modern society. The rhetorical exigence of the article is that robots do not have the potential of taking over the world, but they have the capacity of impacting the society positively though improving people's social and economic lives.

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Ethos

Throughout the article, Jonathan uses some reliable sources to support the credibility of his stance and an appeal to ethos. Some of these sources are BBC News on Octopus Intelligence, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow by Jonathan and Winfield, Morin's Camouflage and Display for Soft Machines among other sources. Using these sources in writing the article boosts Jonathan's credibility since he attempts to show that he has conducted research. It is through this the research that he has managed to provide facts and statistics, for example, the Western and Eastern perception on the use of robots (2). He also asserts that it is possible to use robotic building blocks to cover a much wider range of environments and application that they are currently done. It applies the concept of the building blocks of DNAs in biological organisms (4-5). The author also uses practical examples to introduce and support the fact that robots can benefit the modern environment. He has a personal stake in and firsthand experience with robot technology. It is for this reason that he provides rich information concerning the topic. These are among the appeals for ethos for the concept of robotic technology.

Adding more appeal to ethos about the article, Jonathan believes that the modern society is in the technological transformation phase. He describes the scientific revolution in three the phases- the industrial revolution, the technology revolution and robotics revolution. He says that the industrial revolution age existed in the nineteenth century, and the development of cars and industries marked it. The technology revolution of the 20th century led to the development of phones and computers. Finally, the robotic revolution employs the concept of computer programming to develop artificial organisms, which Jonathan believes that if used positively, would help improves human life. For example, soft robotics would assist in the development of smart skins with electronic components. Smart skins apply colour changing technology, and this would improve camouflaging. Jonathan suggests that smart skin robotics would apply the weaving of artificial muscles into the fabric which would offer a new facility which can mechanically stimulate the skin. Jonathan believes that robotics will propel the fourth industrial revolution which he names robotics revolution. It means that intelligent machines will be performing most human roles and it will completely change the way people do their things. He insists that if the technology is used well, it would not be a threat to autonomous weapons which is among the most significant challenges that modern man has faced. The robotic technology applies other technological concepts to solve social and economic issues that affect the environment in an honourable way. Robot technology, therefore, enables exploration and consideration easier.

Pathos

Along with the strong appeals, Jonathan makes appeals effectively to pathos at the beginning and middle sections of the article. Pathos for this article will consider the humane persuasive precepts of benefiting the modern environment. Pathos appeals to emotions and Jonathan manage this very well in his article. According to Jonathan (1), robot technologies are set to turn the human perception of people towards modern science. It means that the fact that science is service and outcome driven, people stand a better chance to evoke a cliche which serves to accommodate the human expectation. It means that the role of the robot would be trigger pop culture into the people. Robot revolution has developed sexually perfect bots, and these will revolutionize the sex industry, for example, Japan. The pathos appeal is evident in Jonathan's statement of robots "significantly skewing the cultural corpus" (2-3). The objective is to make the reader have sympathy for the society if the technology is not used in the right way. He adds that the cultural background perpetuates people's views of what a robot should look like and how it should behave.

Pathos appeal is also evident in the fact that artificial organisms would be a threat to living. Jonathan links biological organisms to artificial organisms. There is a possibility of thinking of robots regarding the biological concept. For instance, energy which is converted in the stomach and distributed throughout the body is the source of energy in biological organisms. The stomach is linked to the power source of robots. The brain is connected to the control system of machines. These elicit into the reader emotions of insecurity. Artificial intelligence through robot technology would interfere with biological aspects of reproduction, environmental integration and death.

On a positive note, pathos appeal in the article also triggers the emotional feelings of hope and gratitude. The appeal is in line with the benefits that come with robot technology. Jonathan (10-11) outlines and explains some benefits that accompany the artificial intelligence through the use of robot technology. He says that smart skins would yield the possibility of active and reactive clothing. Skins can be substitutes for clothing. He adds that touch-enabled clothing will generate natural affective senses of touch, and this would revolutionize the new communication channel.

Disabled people feel relieved on the restoration of mobility through assistive devices. Smart clothing technology is also able to make this a reality. It would also benefit the elderly and people who are frail. Robot technology would provide power to the weak in cases where they have lost muscle power. There will be a shift from the use of wheelchairs to wearing soft power plants. His choice of words helps him establish the need to embrace the robot technology, and this is an appeal to pathos, or feelings of frustration on the realization that there are solutions to their problems through technology.

Logos

Along with strong logos appeals, Jonathan effectively states his facts, and he supports them with examples and statistics and examples. He integrates logos perfectly due to the appropriate placement of his facts which are systematically outlined. The author has managed to develop new technologies such as biodegradable robots, natural, effective touch, and shape fixing composites, smart camouflage skins, and multi-degree of freedom soft actuators. Through developing such technologies, Jonathan believes that shortly, robots will be the central part of human life, determining people's way of life-how we work, relax, entertain ourselves and maintain our health. Jonathan explains how the concept of robots can be applied in the environment through biodegradable and environmental robots, medical devices assistive devices, smart skins and intelligent soft robots. In as much as the western perceives the robots as economic destroyers and instruments of war, Jonathan explains how robots can improve the economy through creating jobs and investments.

Jonathan also uses logos to prove many assertions that he makes in the article. He encourages people to embrace modern technology as a way of making life more comfortable. Through logos appeal, he manages to explain how their underlying technologies hamper robots which operate in a natural environment; He also describes how it is possible to develop biodegradable and environmental robots through the exploitation of smart materials which are environmentally friendly and can do no harm to the environment since they would be safe in operation. Through this, he eliminates fears that modern technology degrades the environment and endangers the life of living organisms. He manages to highlight how the environment would be protected if proper environmental measures are taken into consideration. For example, he asserts that a natural extension of a biodegradability robot us one that is edible. It means that there is a technological shift where robots can be eaten and that they can do work in the body. The logos appeal is evident in the fact that new knowledge of a method used in controlling and delivering treatments into the body and drugs into the body has been introduced.

The logical appeal is also evident when Jonathan makes clear, logical connections between the ideas and facts that he suggests. His thoughts are accompanied by statistics and facts. He also uses historical and literal analogies to make his logical argument by giving an account of the historical background of science and technology. He provides three phases of development. These are an industrial revolution, the technological revolution and currently, the robotics revolution. He uses facts and statistics to provide an account of a shift in technical perception of robots from the cold war to a future saviour. Robots are therefore defined by their ability to carry out a complex series of actions automatically. Robots can not only track and kill cancer, but they can also lead the way to planetary colonization. They can also act as companions to eliminate loneliness in old age. H also uses facts to explain how there is a possibility of developing smart materials for soft robots. The article has no logical fallacies and that with unclear and wrong assumptions.

Conclusion

Robots, Smart Materials, and their Future Impact on Humans is an article that proves that robots can benefit the modern environment when it is used in the right way. The article provides more in-depth research on the pros and cons of using robots in the society. The author effectively uses features of rhetorical analysis. These include ethos, logos and pathos. The author's rhetorical approach to robotics and technology illuminates different aspects of technology use in different contexts. The embrace of technology with the three perceptions of rhetorical analysis can be accepted depending on the intentions of human beings. The rhetorical analysis features can serve as points of improving technology's ability to persuade overall efficacy.

Work Cited

Rossiter, J (2017). Robotics, Smart Materials, and Their Future Impact for Humans. The Next Step, ( 1-20).