'India needs more robot firms, students must fill the gap'

BANGALORE: Take the Bruce Willis starrer Surrogates or Will Smith's I Robot. Most sci-fi movies in Hollywood are either inspired by real-life research work or end up tickling the brain cells of a robotic engineer. Humanized intelligence is the future of mankind, but possibilities of rogue robots exist too. Dr Ayanna Howard, director of the Human-Automation Systems Lab and the Motorola Foundation Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, shares her thoughts on Robotics.
Q.How do you see the future of Robotics in India?
Students here are interested, inspired and engaged in Robotics. They want to know if there is a career in it. Opportunities are vast. Healthcare is one aspect, where robots are used for a surgery in remote areas, while doctors sit in cities. They are also used for kids with disability. But India lacks in availability of robot companies. Students should think about starting their own robotic company and fill the gap.
Q. What is your take on women in Robotics?
India has many women going for engineering. In the US, there is a huge difference in men and women going for the stream. It is still thought of as a unique thing.
Students go into law or medical school more than engineering colleges, which is not the same in India and is a good thing. Robotics needs more women in the field. Women are more in touch with society and designed to think about other people and their problems.
Q. Are there rogue robots in store?
Robots can possibly evolve to an extent that they start harming humans, but we are not there yet. But because robotic engineers know there are loopholes in the process, they will ensure it is rectified. While we already have robots in various fields, some are still under research. For example, we are working on low-level control in case of artificial limbs. Trials are going on but are still in clinical stage.
Huge progress is expected in Robotics in the next 15 years. Cost is the big issue and is driven by the number of people who buy.
Q. Why did you opt for Robotics?
I was in school when I got to watch the sci-fi TV drama series Bionic Woman. That's when I got hooked to the concept of wonder women.
Q. Movies inspire Robotics or it is the other way round?
They inspire each other. Robotic engineers love old rides to get ideas. Surrogates is inspired from real-life experiments. It is based on an ongoing research in Japan. As for researches inspired by movies, Fantastic Voyage inspired robotic engineers with Nano Robotics.