Continuing our series of looking into the future of applications of consumer robotics, today we’re asking: could robots ever become advanced enough to care for our children? This is an aspect of modern robotics that we’ve been interested in at AvaWatz, as we continue to partner with robot manufacturers to produce the next generation of decision intelligence-based robotic devices.
There are many everyday tasks that our robot friends are already more than capable of carrying out. We’ve talked about robot housekeepers and robotic home appliances, but these roles don’t quite carry the same risks as childcare. It’s one thing to put a robot in charge of your laundry—but trusting a machine to care for a delicate human baby seems a little dangerous from where we currently stand!
Despite these perceived dangers, childcare is amongst the most time-consuming tasks that humans currently face. Recent studies indicate that as many as 1 in 3 working US families are actively struggling to meet their childcare needs and successfully balance their work schedules. It stands to reason that one of the biggest benefits we could gain from the advanced robots of the not-so-distant future would be affordable and reliable childcare.
We’re not the first to consider this novel approach to caring for our children—though we’re certainly interested in the possibility! There have been several attempts at producing robot babysitters. In 2016, Avatar Mind developed iPal for the Asian market; a small robot nanny with a basic communication system designed to occupy 3-8 year old children for a couple of hours at a time. This futuristic robot-babysitter is able to answer simple questions and provide entertainment through a built-in tablet computer—proving the concept of robot childcare in its most basic form.
Considering that many schools close a few hours before most workplaces, this is exactly the kind of robot nanny that many working families would be searching for! But it’s not quite the robot that we’re dreaming of. We’re imagining one that can actively care for our children and anticipate their needs. The robot carers of the future will rely on much more advanced AI software to better provide adaptive care for our kids and keep them entertained in a much more exciting manner!
Picture a robot helper that can play games with your children, engage with them in mentally stimulating ways and even tell them off if they’re misbehaving! This is the kind of robot nanny that we’re thinking about—and, thanks to the recent advancements in AI technology, we’re not too far off from this being a reality!
Though it’s not quite the same as the childcare needs of an inquisitive toddler, there is a newly developed AI system that can provide care for babies in artificial wombs, proving that modern AI is already advanced enough to adequately care for delicate human lives. In some sense, this is already the child care of the future! We’re just waiting for these systems to be installed into humanoid devices that can match the advanced intelligence of AI with a robust and reliable physical form.
The meeting of these technologies is surely just around the corner—although, given the importance of safety in childcare, we’ll have to be sure that both the physical and intelligent sides of the equation are safe enough to be trusted around our children. Perhaps our grandchildren will be the first to call robots their nannies?
AvaWatz is dedicated to developing the smartest AI systems and most intricate collaborative robot teams, to help these robotic dreams become an accessible reality. Visit our funding page to learn how you can contribute to our vision, and help to develop the robots of the future!