What do you think?
Rate this book
An accessible and engaging account of robots, covering the current state of the field, the fantasies of popular culture, and implications for life and work.
Robots are entering the mainstream. Technologies have advanced to the point of mass commercialization—Roomba, for example—and adoption by governments—most notably, their use of drones. Meanwhile, these devices are being received by a public whose main sources of information about robots are the fantasies of popular culture. We know a lot about C-3PO and Robocop but not much about Atlas, Motoman, Kiva, or Beam—real-life robots that are reinventing warfare, the industrial workplace, and collaboration. In this book, technology analyst John Jordan offers an accessible and engaging introduction to robots and robotics, covering state-of-the-art applications, economic implications, and cultural context.
Jordan chronicles the prehistory of robots and the treatment of robots in science fiction, movies, and television—from the outsized influence of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to Isaac Asimov's I, Robot (in which Asimov coined the term “robotics”). He offers a guided tour of robotics today, describing the components of robots, the complicating factors that make robotics so challenging, and such applications as driverless cars, unmanned warfare, and robots on the assembly line.
Roboticists draw on such technical fields as power management, materials science, and artificial intelligence. Jordan points out, however, that robotics design decisions also embody such nontechnical elements as value judgments, professional aspirations, and ethical assumptions, and raise questions that involve law, belief, economics, education, public safety, and human identity. Robots will be neither our slaves nor our overlords; instead, they are rapidly becoming our close companions, working in partnership with us—whether in a factory, on a highway, or as a prosthetic device. Given these profound changes to human work and life, Jordan argues that robotics is too important to be left solely to roboticists.
Robots are entering the mainstream. Technologies have advanced to the point of mass commercialization—Roomba, for example—and adoption by governments—most notably, their use of drones. Meanwhile, these devices are being received by a public whose main sources of information about robots are the fantasies of popular culture. We know a lot about C-3PO and Robocop but not much about Atlas, Motoman, Kiva, or Beam—real-life robots that are reinventing warfare, the industrial workplace, and collaboration. In this book, technology analyst John Jordan offers an accessible and engaging introduction to robots and robotics, covering state-of-the-art applications, economic implications, and cultural context.
Jordan chronicles the prehistory of robots and the treatment of robots in science fiction, movies, and television—from the outsized influence of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to Isaac Asimov's I, Robot (in which Asimov coined the term “robotics”). He offers a guided tour of robotics today, describing the components of robots, the complicating factors that make robotics so challenging, and such applications as driverless cars, unmanned warfare, and robots on the assembly line.
Roboticists draw on such technical fields as power management, materials science, and artificial intelligence. Jordan points out, however, that robotics design decisions also embody such nontechnical elements as value judgments, professional aspirations, and ethical assumptions, and raise questions that involve law, belief, economics, education, public safety, and human identity. Robots will be neither our slaves nor our overlords; instead, they are rapidly becoming our close companions, working in partnership with us—whether in a factory, on a highway, or as a prosthetic device. Given these profound changes to human work and life, Jordan argues that robotics is too important to be left solely to roboticists.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2016
33 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
John M. Jordan
12 books5 followersJohn M. Jordan is Clinical Professor of Supply Chain and Information Systems in Smeal College of Business at Penn State University. He is the author of Robots, also in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 4, 2022
In 9 easy to read chapters John Jordan illustrates how robots are becoming a bigger part of us, but this is not just in the work place, warfare or lifestyle, but also as (possible) human companions and carers.
I liked how the book starts by connecting science fiction, particularly Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot and Karl Capek’s R.U.R. Here, John Jordan says over a couple of chapters how fiction has influenced robot ethics and our expectations of what we think is a robot (where John Jordan pointed out that not even scientists can agree on this).
I also liked the hypothesis John Jordan gave a of the impact and benefits of a future society where the only vehicles were self-drive cars. Further on, he would do the same with robots and warfare.
Reading this got me rethinking my understanding of a robot, where I had no clue what a minefield robot ethics is. A couple of times John Jordan underlines how currently the development of robot technology is in the hands of a few players. Here he’s expressing a concern of the impact this could have on the future if everyday people continue to be excluded from the development of this tech.
In less than 200 pages, this covers a lot of ground, but sometimes, in trying to give a balanced view, John Jordan’s message gets muddled. However, this did not stop my enjoying this read as I came away with the realisation that though robot tech still needs a lot of fine tuning, it’s also moving forward fast.
I liked how the book starts by connecting science fiction, particularly Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot and Karl Capek’s R.U.R. Here, John Jordan says over a couple of chapters how fiction has influenced robot ethics and our expectations of what we think is a robot (where John Jordan pointed out that not even scientists can agree on this).
I also liked the hypothesis John Jordan gave a of the impact and benefits of a future society where the only vehicles were self-drive cars. Further on, he would do the same with robots and warfare.
Reading this got me rethinking my understanding of a robot, where I had no clue what a minefield robot ethics is. A couple of times John Jordan underlines how currently the development of robot technology is in the hands of a few players. Here he’s expressing a concern of the impact this could have on the future if everyday people continue to be excluded from the development of this tech.
In less than 200 pages, this covers a lot of ground, but sometimes, in trying to give a balanced view, John Jordan’s message gets muddled. However, this did not stop my enjoying this read as I came away with the realisation that though robot tech still needs a lot of fine tuning, it’s also moving forward fast.
November 7, 2017
John Jordan aims to encourage a wide range of individuals to have a well-informed debate on how robots should develop in the future and what they should do. The timing is particularly important as robots increasingly impact on the relationship between humans and machines. He is keen that the debate is not just for scientists and politicians but for all of us who have an interest in machines that will have a profound impact on our daily lives in the not too distant future.
He has written a very accessible book that covers a review of the current position and how we got here and, in my view, has achieved his main objective. He explores the work that has been undertaken to define a robot, before taking a broad definition from industrial robots through to more autonomous machines being developed for warfare, care, driverless cars and other uses. This book does not require any technical knowledge of robots.
The author describes the role of robots in popular culture and how they have informed the popular view of robots. He then discusses the current position before taking each of the main topics in turn for more detailed analysis. The technical issues, social and political aspects, including the impact on human behaviour, the economic implications and the need for legal frameworks (for example, who is responsible if driverless cars collide - the manufacturer, the owner or the operator?) are discussed. The pros and cons of developing in certain directions are addressed with consideration of what unintended consequences might arise.
At a time when much public debate is based on opinion rather than knowledge and where that opinion, while informed, may be limited in scope, this book is a refreshingly detailed exploration of the wide topic.
The discussion is supported by extensive notes for those who wish to go into further detail. An excellent book - 10/10.
Review by Sheila Bullas
Originally posted: http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/...
He has written a very accessible book that covers a review of the current position and how we got here and, in my view, has achieved his main objective. He explores the work that has been undertaken to define a robot, before taking a broad definition from industrial robots through to more autonomous machines being developed for warfare, care, driverless cars and other uses. This book does not require any technical knowledge of robots.
The author describes the role of robots in popular culture and how they have informed the popular view of robots. He then discusses the current position before taking each of the main topics in turn for more detailed analysis. The technical issues, social and political aspects, including the impact on human behaviour, the economic implications and the need for legal frameworks (for example, who is responsible if driverless cars collide - the manufacturer, the owner or the operator?) are discussed. The pros and cons of developing in certain directions are addressed with consideration of what unintended consequences might arise.
At a time when much public debate is based on opinion rather than knowledge and where that opinion, while informed, may be limited in scope, this book is a refreshingly detailed exploration of the wide topic.
The discussion is supported by extensive notes for those who wish to go into further detail. An excellent book - 10/10.
Review by Sheila Bullas
Originally posted: http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/...
July 16, 2017
Uma passada rápida pelo que robôs estão se tornando. Jordan conta como começa nossa história com robôs desde a ficção, como sempre pensamos neles como máquinas que iriam interagir e se misturar com a humanidade. Para depois falar sobre como cada indústria está avançando nessa área, passando por robôs domésticos, militares, na agricultura e na indústria. Com direito aos problemas éticos envolvidos.
Um livro bom para quem não leu nada sobre e gostaria de uma introdução leve e rápida. Mas que deve ficar desatualizado em bem pouco tempo. Ainda gosto mais da discussão mais compreensiva do Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future.
Um livro bom para quem não leu nada sobre e gostaria de uma introdução leve e rápida. Mas que deve ficar desatualizado em bem pouco tempo. Ainda gosto mais da discussão mais compreensiva do Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future.
December 2, 2019
Easily accessible, but not dumbed down, non-fiction book thinks deeply on the concept of robots and broadly on their implications.
December 9, 2018
The author John Jordan is a professor at the Penn State University. He is also a technology analyst. This book actually has a subtitle: social aspects. Don't expect technical stuff here. The book is devoted to discussion of how robots would affect our daily lives.
He starts from the history of human's desire to be gods. Humans have always been eager to turn inanimate things into organism. Dating back to ancient civilization, we could find mythology or tales that some mighty figures give life to inorganic materials, such as Golem in Jewish belief. Craftsmen in the middle centuries also invented exquisite machines trying to replicate life forms. The author talks about why humans are fascinated by the ideas of robots.
Next, the author shows us how popular culture has shaped our perception on robots. The term robot originates from a stage play written by a Czech intellect. The term 'robota' means forced labor in Czech language. However the success of the play, the term was coined by the legendary Issac Asimov, who invented the three laws of robots in his science fiction. The influence is immense even to this day. Movies shape our imagination about these machines as well. From R2D2 in Star Wars to Hal-9000 in 2001: Space Odyssey, film makers utilize their creativity to project the future of robots.
After the cultural context, author starts to discuss the status quo of robotics. It's a magazine-like article provides an overview of the current development. Due to the increasing computing power, artificial intelligence claims significant public attention. But mostly, the current robotic application is in industrial production. So-called robots are essentially machines that are designed to do specific jobs. To achieve general utilization, there is still huge gaps to be filled. For example, what is the ideal structure of a robot, similar to human? ; these robots need to make sense of a lot of things, so the sensors must be more powerful.
Following, the author writes three respective chapter discussing the driverless cars, robots in warfare, and its implication on economic development. I won't go into the details here. If you read business news regularly, you should have already learned some knowledge here. The major concern for broad use of robots lies in its unpredictability. People have not been well prepared to embrace the coming robot age. Though some benefits are foreseeable, challenges are more overwhelming. There are lots of legal, ethical, cultural issues to be addressed urgently. For instance, if an unmanned vehicle caused fatal accidents, who should be blamed? The car manufacturer? The programmer? Or someone else? These kinds of dangers could be even more frightening in regard to warfare. If we allow robots to be autonomous killing machines, who bears the consequence?
Lastly, the author talks about the relationship between humans and robots. I find this chapter particularly interesting since I never think about it before. The future trend is clear, robots, or at least smarter machines, will be more ubiquitous in our society. The question is how should we react to their presence? Humans have great adaptability, and it can be shown that we are already getting along with 'robots' (though immature) perfectly. We work with siri, GPS, and smartphones perfectly without noticing we are actually interacting with robots. Nonetheless, this may change drastically in the near future. As machines become more intelligent and sensitive, how will we treat robots, friend, serf, or something even greater than us? The relation between androids and flesh humans could be blurring. Therefore, it's a pressing situation we need to encounter as soon as possible.
In the end, the future of robotics is uncertain. The author emphasizes the importance to incorporate more and various kinds of people into the development of robots. Robotic specialists were the main voices in the past. We should bring in common people into the dialogue. Let's stand out and join the
debate.
He starts from the history of human's desire to be gods. Humans have always been eager to turn inanimate things into organism. Dating back to ancient civilization, we could find mythology or tales that some mighty figures give life to inorganic materials, such as Golem in Jewish belief. Craftsmen in the middle centuries also invented exquisite machines trying to replicate life forms. The author talks about why humans are fascinated by the ideas of robots.
Next, the author shows us how popular culture has shaped our perception on robots. The term robot originates from a stage play written by a Czech intellect. The term 'robota' means forced labor in Czech language. However the success of the play, the term was coined by the legendary Issac Asimov, who invented the three laws of robots in his science fiction. The influence is immense even to this day. Movies shape our imagination about these machines as well. From R2D2 in Star Wars to Hal-9000 in 2001: Space Odyssey, film makers utilize their creativity to project the future of robots.
After the cultural context, author starts to discuss the status quo of robotics. It's a magazine-like article provides an overview of the current development. Due to the increasing computing power, artificial intelligence claims significant public attention. But mostly, the current robotic application is in industrial production. So-called robots are essentially machines that are designed to do specific jobs. To achieve general utilization, there is still huge gaps to be filled. For example, what is the ideal structure of a robot, similar to human? ; these robots need to make sense of a lot of things, so the sensors must be more powerful.
Following, the author writes three respective chapter discussing the driverless cars, robots in warfare, and its implication on economic development. I won't go into the details here. If you read business news regularly, you should have already learned some knowledge here. The major concern for broad use of robots lies in its unpredictability. People have not been well prepared to embrace the coming robot age. Though some benefits are foreseeable, challenges are more overwhelming. There are lots of legal, ethical, cultural issues to be addressed urgently. For instance, if an unmanned vehicle caused fatal accidents, who should be blamed? The car manufacturer? The programmer? Or someone else? These kinds of dangers could be even more frightening in regard to warfare. If we allow robots to be autonomous killing machines, who bears the consequence?
Lastly, the author talks about the relationship between humans and robots. I find this chapter particularly interesting since I never think about it before. The future trend is clear, robots, or at least smarter machines, will be more ubiquitous in our society. The question is how should we react to their presence? Humans have great adaptability, and it can be shown that we are already getting along with 'robots' (though immature) perfectly. We work with siri, GPS, and smartphones perfectly without noticing we are actually interacting with robots. Nonetheless, this may change drastically in the near future. As machines become more intelligent and sensitive, how will we treat robots, friend, serf, or something even greater than us? The relation between androids and flesh humans could be blurring. Therefore, it's a pressing situation we need to encounter as soon as possible.
In the end, the future of robotics is uncertain. The author emphasizes the importance to incorporate more and various kinds of people into the development of robots. Robotic specialists were the main voices in the past. We should bring in common people into the dialogue. Let's stand out and join the
debate.
May 17, 2024
i generally found the books in this collection great, but this one fell a bit short compared to the others, if some of the others felt too specialised at times (which is not necessarily bad), this book felt a bit too accessible and simplistic way too often. i also felt too much of it was focused on the gamer-geek and talking about "the rules" robots have, in too much length. fortunately it was partially saved when the presentation moved a bit more towards automated cars and industrial processes, and what is realistic, but it was still too light on the useful and too heavy on the sci-fi hype.
if this was "Robots", what is "Robot Ethics" doing in the same collection?
"robotic machines can multiply presence" - good quote
if this was "Robots", what is "Robot Ethics" doing in the same collection?
"robotic machines can multiply presence" - good quote
January 21, 2018
Robotics is among the few sectors whose success is measured by our sci-fi-driven imaginations. This is a survey of where it’s really at, across a multitude of categories from caregiving to military application.
But it’s also much deeper than this. John Jordan posits that because we can build things we neither control nor understand, and because the things we build often inherit our own myopic worldview, the people who define the future of robotics must be as diverse as possible—teachers, artists, moralists, parents, writers.
Maybe even children (methinks). I love this book. It coincides nicely with findings from “How Emotions Are Made” and “Thinking in Systems”.
But it’s also much deeper than this. John Jordan posits that because we can build things we neither control nor understand, and because the things we build often inherit our own myopic worldview, the people who define the future of robotics must be as diverse as possible—teachers, artists, moralists, parents, writers.
Maybe even children (methinks). I love this book. It coincides nicely with findings from “How Emotions Are Made” and “Thinking in Systems”.
August 23, 2022
ROBOT. DOES. NOT. MEAN. ARTIFICIAL. INTELLIGENCE.
Jordan knows this and gives you break down pretty well; most of the robots we know and love require a lot of input/remote control to function and it's very simple programming for most autonomous machines.
Like all the MIT Essential Knowledge books this one packs a whole lot into a slim volume, starting with basics and it gets into how it will impact economies and (probably the most important part) culture.
Great read.
Jordan knows this and gives you break down pretty well; most of the robots we know and love require a lot of input/remote control to function and it's very simple programming for most autonomous machines.
Like all the MIT Essential Knowledge books this one packs a whole lot into a slim volume, starting with basics and it gets into how it will impact economies and (probably the most important part) culture.
Great read.
May 21, 2017
If you want to influence the development of robots then you should get involved. What you choose to do instead is be the naked bearded guy standing by the motorway shouting at the cars whizzing by: "literary criticism matters!".
January 15, 2023
Un libro muy práctico para cualquier persona que quiera introducirse en la robótica actual pero tenga miedo de toparse con algo demasiado técnico, abarca la robótica desde muchas más areas. me gustó especialmente el acercamiento cultural.
July 26, 2017
The books deals more with economics, socials and history than actual robotics.
February 25, 2018
Great book to begin in the study of robots!!
It was a great experience to read this book, I learned a lot about the robots and history of them.
It was a great experience to read this book, I learned a lot about the robots and history of them.
Read
December 27, 2019Good overview, has breadth but not too much depth
February 19, 2022
Loved it - exactly what I needed. Concise, instructive, critical.
January 5, 2023
Solid Breadth first approach to robotics field. And lot of interesting questions in high non-tech level.
January 1, 2024
A little dated but a decent overview from the mid 2010s.
February 23, 2017
Respectable coverage of robots, societal implications and where we are at with the various related technologies.
February 12, 2017
Comprehensive overview about robotics, tries to explain what it actually is and all different areas it relates to. Also, mentions latest achievements and future challenges both technical and social (augmented human, singularity...)
January 24, 2017
Very well cited, it is a decent intro, and what it lacks in depth it makes up for in great notes/references giving the reader plenty of additional material to move on to.
April 18, 2017
I picked this book because I am interested in robots (who isn't) and because it included a chapter on robots in warfare which I believe is one of the determinants of the future of war that has already started in the form of drone warfare and because in our work in humanitarian assistance we will be at the forefront of where robots both hit and miss when they are combatants.
The book is short and while being a good overview lack the depth of a detailed study. It aims to engage the public in the decisions on design, function, and ethics of robotics at a stage where public engagement is useful in defining the future. I think this is a good cause as leaving all of those decisions that will affect us all to a few scientists and designers is not enough.
I enjoyed reading it and kept going to look up some of the robots he names on YouTube and other places. I ended the book being both intrigued and terrified, somewhat reminded of the beginning of the movie iRobot (which is again very different from the book by Asimov it claims to present) where Will Smith is skeptical and suspicious about robots. I just hope that the real life robots of our future will end up, like in the movie, having some hard and not only a cold, metallic, un-sympathizing calculator in their heads.
The book is short and while being a good overview lack the depth of a detailed study. It aims to engage the public in the decisions on design, function, and ethics of robotics at a stage where public engagement is useful in defining the future. I think this is a good cause as leaving all of those decisions that will affect us all to a few scientists and designers is not enough.
I enjoyed reading it and kept going to look up some of the robots he names on YouTube and other places. I ended the book being both intrigued and terrified, somewhat reminded of the beginning of the movie iRobot (which is again very different from the book by Asimov it claims to present) where Will Smith is skeptical and suspicious about robots. I just hope that the real life robots of our future will end up, like in the movie, having some hard and not only a cold, metallic, un-sympathizing calculator in their heads.
April 29, 2017
Not for me, one of many, didn't finished.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews