An international team of scientists led by the University of Leeds has assessed how robotics and autonomous systems could facilitate or impede the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), announced a statement published on the platform Science Daily. The findings are based on a horizon scan involving more than 102 global experts. The research was conducted as part of Leeds' Self Repairing Cities project, which aimed to use robotics to minimise disruption caused in cities by roadworks.
According to the statement, the key opportunities robotics present include autonomous task completion, fostering innovation, improving supply chains and transforming current modes of transport. Emerging threats relate to reinforcing inequalities, exacerbating environmental change and reducing privacy through inadequate governance.
However, participants indicated that the impact of robotics and autonomous systems was likely to be overwhelmingly positive. Lead author Dr Solène Guenat said in the statement: "Robotics and autonomous systems are here to stay and will fundamentally transform how we interact with one another, technology and the environment.”
The Self Repairing Cities project developed robots to identify, diagnose and repair roadworks through minimally invasive techniques. Other cities pioneering robotics include Tokyo, with its customer service robots, and autonomous delivery robots in Singapore, according to an article from the planning platform Planetizen.
