IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - March 2017 - 6

President's Message

Robotics Leads Social Innovation
Without Borders for the Future of Humanity
By Satoshi Tadokoro

he markets for robots and
artificial intelligence are exp-
anding rapidly. Most people
believe that our society will
change drastically on a world scale in
the near future, and robotics and auto-
mation are major key players of this
big social revolution. Globalism is one
of the necessary conditions for this new
consumer technology. The prevalence
of nationalism to build barriers is
becoming a trend in the world, and this
prevents advancing science and tech-
nology and significantly delays the
usage of robots in human society.
The world consists of various cul-
tures and traditions. People have diverse
lifestyles and ways of thinking. Deep
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MRA.2017.2654178
Date of publication: 29 March 2017

mutual understanding of
them and ingenious adapta-
tion are essential for imple-
menting robotic systems
globally. We cannot avoid fac-
ing the variety of problems and
issues in this process. The social innova-
tion is realized by the challenge of over-
coming such obstacles, and the wisdom
of humanity has solved them so far.
The collaboration of sensitive lead-
ing users and researchers/engineers
determines the direction of robotic ser-
vices. The users define the business
models, the robotic functions, the ways
of usage, and the price and quality
range. Robotics creates the solutions to
satisfy them. In other words, the strat-
egy to utilize science and technology
for business solutions is a key to the
social innovation.

High-performance robots
are used in the markets that
require high performance,
and price reduction is pro-
moted in the market where
low price is needed. The perfor-
mance and the price are contradictory
propositions, but we cannot say which
has higher value. They are just different
metrics. In either case, excellent robots
and services are created where rich
collaboration of users and researchers
is nurtured.
The IEEE Robotics and Automa-
tion Society shall challenge to lower
obstructive barriers, to provide oppor-
tunities for all people from various posi-
tions to meet, and to change the world
as the global leading community of
robotics. We believe it builds the future
of humanity.

Deadline for RAS Local Chapter Development Grants
The RAS Member Activities Board (MAB) awards a limited number of Chapter development grants to local RAS
Chapters for professional development, educational outreach, and other programs. Grant proposals will be
reviewed by the MAB at its meeting in Singapore in late May 2017, and funds up to US$2,000 will be awarded on
a competitive basis. The deadline for proposals is 30 April 2017. For submission details, please visit: http://www
.ieee-ras.org/membership/chapters.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MRA.2017.2672158

IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE

march 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - March 2017