I’ve always been fond of robots as far back as I can remember. Maybe it was the prepubescent exposure to Isaac Asimov. Maybe it was my fascination with mechanisms of all types. Or maybe it was because I didn’t envision the kind of future that Fred Saberhagen proposed in his Berserker novels, but one rather more along the lines of I, Robot - the book, not the movie – please!
My dad just had robotic surgery. Ironically, I had discovered the da Vinci Surgical System some years ago and applauded the effort and concept of it. Thanks to Robert Heinlein’s Waldo story, I was long familiar with the concept of human manipulation of objects and tissue via remote control. This surgery probably not only helped save my dad’s life and functions, it did so with minimal invasion. He was extremely lucky to have the machine available locally and to be operated on by a doctor who trains others in its operation. How cool is that?
Robots will someday enable the elderly and disabled to have and retain their independence. They will be our companions, caretakers, workers, servants, entertainment, warriors and lifesavers. They will enable us to care for the planet, explore its depths, heights and breadth and reach out for a foothold on other worlds. In the future I envision, robots will do so much more than care for our floors, act as geeky toys, or battle in an arena. They will be our helpmates, instilled with the programming and AI to do for us more than we can do for ourselves. Give me The Door Into Summer and I will gladly go through it.
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