More than 70% of professionals believe automation and robots must be better designed to work and interact with humans to reduce the risk of workplace accidents, research has shown.
The study, undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) and jobsite CV-Library, also revealed 89% believe humans will ultimately hold responsibility for mistakes arising in the workplace from machinery and robotics.
Four out of 5 said that there must be an increased focus on human factors in the design stage to reduce the risks of accidents, and two-thirds claimed manufacturers should agree to robot designers being legally required to obtain insurance – protecting from damage their automated devices may cause.
The research also showed professionals believe developments in artificial intelligence are paramount to enabling robots to understand human behaviour, and to learn how to interact in a more sophisticated way with human colleagues.
Nearly 80% also said that a ‘kill switch’ – stopping all functions in an emergency situation – should be fitted to all robotic machinery.
Stephen Barraclough, CEO of the CIEHF, said it was ‘paramount’ that robots are designed with the capabilities of humans ‘very much in mind’.
He said: “The more we consider the comprehensive integration of robots into our society then the smoother the process will be.
“Robotics offer a multitude of benefits, it’s vital we create automation that can work with people, interacting with routines and better understanding our capabilities.”
I believe this problem was addressed as far back as 1942. In a short story called “Runaround” the world was first introduced to “Asimov’s 3 laws of robotics”. But they really came to prominence with his best selling novel “I Robot”, which was much later made into a film starring Will Smith