Keywords
Citation
(2003), "Survey reveals that many believe that the robots are coming!", Industrial Robot, Vol. 30 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2003.04930bab.005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
Survey reveals that many believe that the robots are coming!
Survey reveals that many believe that the robots are coming!
Keywords: Robots, Survey
With robots now a part of everyday life in terms of industry and science fiction movies, it has been revealed that more than one in five people believe that there is a more sinister prospect in store and that the day will come when robots take over the world.
The survey of 700 people of all ages was carried out by Radica UK Ltd, the UK’s distributors of Pino, stated to be the world’s first interactive humanoid companion. It was also revealed that over half the population believes that one-day robots may form the bulk of our national armies.
However, not everyone believes that robots are an unwelcome part of today’s society. Over a third of people questioned said that they would consider keeping a robot instead of a pet and, eerily, nearly a third would consider having a robot instead of a child.
“The survey was carried out to determine the British public’s attitude towards robots and how they believe they will shape our future”, commented John Doughty, Managing Director of Radica UK Ltd. “It has shown that many people are accepting the importance the robots can play in our lives, not only in terms of a helping hand, but also as a loyal friend. Robots do not need feeding, exercise or cleaning out and can be switched off and on at will, making them the perfect pet for someone with a hectic life.”
The study has also revealed that the majority of men would be unfazed if London’s buses, cabs and tubes were driven by robots, although women took a much more sceptical view with the majority saying “no” to the prospect.
For further information about Radica UK or Pino please visit http://www.radicauk.com/