Week Three: Robotics
Robotics, ultimately, is simply the progression of
industrialization. Beginning with mass production of information via the
Gutenberg printing press, the Industrial Revolution began and never stopped.
The Second Industrial Revolution is referred to as the “electrification
period.” Henry Ford was creating cars, steelworks were allowing for stable
skyscrapers, and assembly lines were becoming commonplace.
The emergence of computing via Alan Turing and Vannevar Bush,
allowed for the idea of artificial intelligence, Internet access, and cyborgs,
which leads me to my relating movie.
I chose the movie WALL-E to analyze. In the movie, all humans
had abandoned Earth and left a robot, WALL-E, to clean up the mess that was a
result of their disregard for nature and Earth’s wellbeing. When a ship
containing all people who had earlier abandoned Earth returns, we find that
humans have become lazy and gluttonous, using technology and
robotically-controlled items in order to constantly eat, watch TV, and gain
weight.
I did not choose this movie to analyze how the characters inside
of it react to technology, but instead to analyze why they are portrayed this
way. The storyboard creators, director, and producer all clearly share the
common belief to some extent that this is the future of robotic technology.
There seems to be an overall idea that the lack of human involvement in any
material processes will lead to a lesser society completely dependent on
technology, even if our current technological advancements have not proven to
remove our moral compass. Society often responds to change with hesitancy, but
I've personally found that younger generations are more likely to embrace
industrialization, mostly due to a non-dulled imagination and lesser likelihood
to question “crazy” ideas. Older generations are more likely to be hesitant,
conservative in regards to most change.
This week was one of my favorite topics because it includes so
much creativity, both is how robots are created and also in imagining where
they will take our future as a society.
Sources:
"Henry Ford." Biography.com. A&E
Networks Television, 22 Dec. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
Kusahara, Machiko. Robotics.
https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/684222/pages/unit-3-view?module_item_id=11226146
Vesna, Victoria. Robotics Pt. 2 https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/684222/pages/unit-3-view?module_item_id=11226146
Vesna, Victoria. Robotics Pt. 3
https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/684222/pages/unit-3-view?module_item_id=11226146
WALL-E. Directed by Andrew Stanton,
2008.
Pictures:
American Society for Mechanical Engineers.
Digital Image. “Henry Ford.”
https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/automotive/henry-ford
Getty Images. Digital Image. “The Impact of
Technology on the Developing Child.” The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/technology-children-negative-impact_b_3343245.html
Negroni, Jon. Digital Image. “Retronalysis:
The Humans of ‘WALL-E’ Were Probably Better Off Without Him.” Jon
Negroni. https://jonnegroni.com/2015/04/15/the-humans-of-wall-e-were-probably-better-off-without-him/
This movie is one of my favorites too, I love the way that you relate Wall-E to this topic. I agree that the younger the generation, the more likely/willing they are to embrace changes and advancements in culture and technology. There are pros and cons to having this as a trait though; the downfall being that we become more and more reliant on the technological advances because we are so open to trying the newest upgrades. I think that the producers of this movie accurately depict a potential future of what could happen if robots and technology keep developing as quickly as they are right now.
ReplyDeleteI was excited to find out that you picked Wall-E, it's such a great movie. I think it was perfect for this topic. Younger generation are a lot more reliant on technology. I used to freak out in High school when i was told we couldn't use calculators. Technology has become a vital part of our society.
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