Our Robots, Ourselves: Robotics and the Myths of Autonomy

No robot takeover is in the offing, but this savvy insider’s account of automated systems argues that we can expect ever more intimate cooperation of humans with intelligent machines. MIT engineering professor and historian Mindell (Digital Apollo) surveys robotic systems in extreme environments: submersibles that dive to ocean depths too dangerous for humans; aviation systems that can fly a plane—or crash it; Predator drones whose crews find their experience of combat at a remove to be immersive and harrowing; Mars rovers that feel like bodily extensions of geologists at mission control. Mindell, who works on automation systems, offers an engaging history of their capabilities and short-comings that’s full of intriguing technical detail but very accessible to laypeople. He also delves into the sociology of automation—how people learn to work with robots and change their conception of their own work and social identity. His hopeful conclusion, exemplified by NASA’s repair missions to the Hubble space telescope, is that robots work best in close communication with people, giving humans a sense of presence in and mastery of tasks they can’t perform unaided. Mindell’s is one of the best-informed and most thoughtful analyses of automation, and a corrective to the ominous hype surrounding the issue. Photos. [em]Agent: Katherine Flynn, Kneerim, William & Bloom. (Oct.) [/em]