Iirobhothi—Zininzi Kangakanani Izinto Ezinokuzenza?

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EJAPAN

IIROBHOTHI. Yintoni ethi qatha engqondweni xa usiva elo gama? Abanye abantu bathi iirobhothi ngabahlobo abanobubele nabaluncedo. Abanye bathi zisisongelo, ngoomatshini abakrelekrele ngokugqithiseleyo, abanokuthabathel’ indawo uluntu ngenye imini. Ukanti abanye bathi iirobhothi ziingcamango nje zenzululwazi, kodwa asizozinto zokwenene.

Kuthekani namhlanje? Uhlolisiso olwenziwa yi-International Federation of Robotics ngowama-2006 luthi, ehlabathini lonke ezorhwebo zisebenzisa iirobhothi ezingaphezu kwesigidi, yaye phantse ezimalunga nesiqingatha kwezi ziseAsia. Kutheni zisetyenziswa kangaka?

Izinto Ezenziwa Ziirobhothi

Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni womntu osoloko esebenza, engakhalazi, yaye onokusebenza iiyure ezingama-24 ngosuku iveki yonke. Iirobhothi ezisetyenziswa kumashishini zenza kanye oko, njengoko ziqhubeka zisenza inkitha yeemoto, izinto zombane nezinto zasendlwini. Iirobhothi zenza ngokuvisisana negama lazo elisuka kwigama lesiCzech elithi robota, elithetha “ukusebenza nzima.” Kuqikelelwa ukuba ngowama-2005 kwishishini lokwenza iimoto, kwakusebenza irobhothi enye endaweni yabantu abali-10!

Ngoku iirobhothi ziyasetyenziswa nakwezinye iindawo. Ngoku ziyakwazi ukuva amazwi, zinegyroscope, iwireless data communication, iGlobal Positioning Systems, nezinye izixhobo zokuva ubushushu, imitha kunye nemichiza. Zikwasetyenziswa nakweminye imisebenzi emininzi, eyayibonakala ingenakwenzeka kwiminyaka embalwa edluleyo. Nantsi eminye imizekelo.

◼ Imisebenzi. Kwisibhedlele saseBritani, kukho irobhothi ekhupha neoda amayeza kwimizuzwana nje embalwa. ISebe Lezeposi laseUnited States lineerobhothi ezininzi ezilungisa, ziphakamise zize zilungelelanise iitreyi ezinemithwalo. Iirobhothi ziyakwazi ukungena kwiindawo ezifihlakeleyo njengaxa zilungisa ngaphakathi kumaphiko eenqwelo-moya

◼ Ngabahlobo. Izigulana ezikwikhaya labalupheleyo eJapan zitshintshana ngokuphulula irobhothi ethandekayo nebonakala njengentshontsho lentini. Le robhothi iyeva xa iphathwa, iyakubona ukukhanya, iyasiva isandi, ubushushu, ukanti iva nendlela ebanjwa ngayo. Ikhala njengentini, iqwabaz’ iliso ize iphaphazelis’ amaphiko. Kuthiwa iba ngumhlobo ebantwini, yaye iluncedo kwizigulana.

◼ Ezonyango. Irobhothi eneengalo ezintathu ityanda isigulana. Kumgama omalunga nemitha kukho ugqirha wezotyando okhangele kumatshini othile obonisa indlela le robhothi eyityanda ngayo intliziyo yesigulana. Lo gqirha ulawula iingalo zale robhothi njengoko ilungisa umthambo wentliziyo. Le ndlela yokunyanga ibangela ukuba olu tyando loyikekayo lungathathi xesha lide ngenxa yokuba irobhothi iya kanye apho kufuneka iye khona, nto leyo ebangela ukuba umzimba ungarhwaqeli xesha lide, kungachitheki gazi lininzi nokuba umguli aphole ngokukhawuleza.

◼ Imisebenzi Yasekhaya. Ucofa nje iqhosha ize irobhothi emile okwedisk itshayele ngomatshini. Itshayela kwiindawo ezithe gabalala, iye kwezayame udonga, ize ekugqibeleni igqogqe yonke indlu. Iyaziphepha izinyuko. Ukugqiba kwayo ibuyela kwindawo ehlala kuyo. Sithetha nje zingaphezu kwezigidi ezibini iirobhothi ezisetyenziselwa le njongo.

◼ Emajukujukwini. Irobhothi enamavili amathandathu ekuthiwa nguSpirit ihamba ihlola isijikelezi-langa uMars. Le robhothi enezixhobo zenzululwazi, ihlola intlabathi namatye. Esebenzisa iikhamera ezikuye, uSpirit uneefoto zikaMars ezingaphezu kwama-88 500, eziquka indlela esimi ngayo esi sijikelezi-langa, imingxuma ekuso, amafu, izaqhwithi nokutshona kwelanga. USpirit yenye yeerobhothi ezimbini ezinamavili ezisebenza kuMars.

◼ Ukufuna Nokuhlangula. Iirobhothi ezili-17 ezilingana nebhola yombhoxo zazivumbulula abantu abasindileyo abavaleleke ngaphantsi kwengqushu yeWorld Trade Towers. Ukususela ngelo xesha, kwenziwa iirobhothi ezinobuchule ngakumbi ezifana nale iboniswe ngezantsi.

◼ Ngaphantsi Kwamanzi. Oomatshini abasebenza ngaphantsi kwamanzi basetyenziswa zizazinzulu xa zihlola ulwandle. Ezi robhoti zinamavili aziqhutywa mntu kodwa zizenzela yonke into. Ezinye zezinto ezizenza phantsi kwamanzi kukukhangela nokufumana izinto ezithile, ukuhlola iintambo zonxibelelwano, ukukhangela iminenga, nokucoca ulwandle.

Zifana Njani Nabantu?

Kangangeenkulungwane, abantu babecinga ngokwenza irobhothi efana nomntu. Kodwa oku kuye kwaba nzima. Iphephandaba iBusiness Week lithi: “Ukwakha iikhompyutha ezinobuxhakaxhaka obuninzi, izakhiwo ezingoorhec’ izulu, okanye isixeko kulula kakhulu xa kuthelekiswa nokwenza umatshini onobuchule obufana nobomntu, owenziwe ngathi uyabona, uyajoja, uyeva, uyaphatha, yaye obonakala usondele emntwini ngokuba krelekrele.”

Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngomsebenzi obonakala ulula wokwenza irobhothi ehamba njengomntu. NgoSeptemba 1997 oononjineli baseJapan bade bagqiba ukwenza loo robhothi emva kweminyaka eli-11 besenza uphando, nasemva kokuba bechithe izigidi zeedola. Ukususela ngelo xesha, oononjineli baye benza iirobhothi ezikwaziyo ukunyuka ngezinyuko, ukubaleka, ukungqungqa, ukuphatha izinto, ukuqhuba inqwelo, nezikwaziyo ukuphakama xa ziwile!

Ziya Kusetyenziswa Njani Iirobhothi Kwixa Elizayo?

Liyintoni ikamva leerobhothi? Sithetha nje iU.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration yenza irobhothi engusomajukujuku, ehamba njengomntu neyenza imisebenzi eyingozi isemajukujukwini. UBill Gates, incutshwe kwezekhompyutha, uthi kusenokwenzeka ukuba “iirobhothi zikwazi ukunceda abantu abalupheleyo kwizinto ezithile zize zibe ngabahlobo babo.”

Ngokufanayo, ingxelo karhulumente waseJapan yathi ngowama-2025 abantu baya kuphila neerobhothi, yaye iirobhothi ziya kubanyamekela, zibancedise ekukhuliseni abantwana, zize zenze nemisebenzi yasendlwini. Abaphengululi bona bathi ngowama-2050 balindele ukubona iqela leerobhothi lisoyisa iqela labantu kwibhola ekhatywayo. Bakwathi kumashumi eminyaka ezayo, kuya kwenziwa iirobhothi eziyodlula lee ingqondo yomntu.

Nakuba babebonakala beqinisekile ngezi zinto, kodwa ayingabo bonke ababenentembelo kuzo. Ethetha ngeengxaki ezibangelwa zezobugcisa, umphengululi ngobukrelekrele obenziwe ngumntu, uJordan B. Pollack wathi: “Siye sayijongela phantsi indlela ezintsonkothe ngayo izinto eziphilayo.”

Akukho mntu uqinisekileyo ukuba iirobhothi ziya kwenza izinto ezimangalisayo ukusa kuwuphi umkhamo. Kodwa into esiqiniseke ngayo: Ngabantu kuphela abanothando, ubulumko, okusesikweni namandla. Kutheni sisitsho nje? IBhayibhile itsho ngokucacileyo ukuba ngokungafaniyo nezinye izidalwa, umntu wadalwa ngomfanekiso kaThixo. (Genesis 1:27) Abantu asingabo oomatshini abangenazimvakalelo. Badalwa banenkululeko yokuzikhethela nengqondo yokunqula uThixo. Ngamana le nkululeko sinayo, esibangela ukuba singafani neerobhothi ingasenza sisondele kuMdali wethu, uYehova uThixo!—Yakobi 4:8.

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 16]

Courtesy Aaron Edsinger

Courtesy OC Robotics

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 17]

Courtesy AIST

© 2008 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Courtesy iRobot Corp.

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Top: NASA/JPL-Solar System Visualization Team; left: NASA/JPL/Cornell University

© The RoboCup Federation

Greg McFall/NOAA/Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 19]

© 2007 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.