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Robotics Day.
Researchers' Night.
Robots and Laws of the future.
How is the Robotics of the future?
It is very complicated to predict the future.
Nevertheless, Robotics is showing itself
as one of the most important platforms
for producing changes in the society of the future.
Technology now allows us to build machines
which make it possible for all consumer goods
to be manufactured by such equipments.
This greatly increases productivity.
But that is a piece of cake compared to what is
foreseeable for years to come.
Robotic assistance, one that may help in the household,
that may actually enhance our lives,
that may assist us in numerous tasks.
I think that is essential in the society in which we live.
This activity is part of the Researchers' Night.
How do you see this concept in the society?
We the researchers owe an obligation to the society,
to reveal what we are doing and working on.
After all, it is the society that pays us
and from the funds we receive
we are able to continue our research.
Secondly, the researcher must appear as a normal person,
as anyone, without any other talent more than that of personal efforts,
the hopes held for the work and, especially,
of actually transferring usefulness and work,
from the research outcome to the society to benefit from it.
Is it important to visualize and identify the researcher?
Indeed it is important because often the image that the society
has of the researcher is somewhat like a sage of past centuries,
squeezed in a dark corner.
Certainly that has now changed: to be a Researcher is now a profession
much like any other profession.
It is important that people know how science is done,
how research is done,
how the new objects or artefacts that may
change our societies are produced
because once people know how the objects are produced,
they become very conscious of their limits,
dangers, benefits...
How do you see Robotics from a philosophical perspective?
People fail to realize that Robotics
is already defining our lives.
We think of robots
in terms quite similar to those of Star Wars
and other kinds of films,
but, in reality, robots are autonomous objects
that perform the kinds of functions that we entrust to them
and they do it very well.
Without them, the world in which we live
will not be possible.
I dear say that Robotics is probably
one of the greatest territories of future engineering
that will change the economy further.
And, particularly, it will change the daily routine even more.
It makes us think a lot on the scope of human intelligence.
It is not only in thinking that it is the intelligence of robots
that it is what makes engineers,
but to philosophers it is very important
since it helps us reflect on what the human intelligence is.
Are there legal targets in the current Robotics?
Many parts of Robotics can be integrated
into already-existing legal openings.
But there are series of questions
that goes above the scope of legality.
These questions are, towards where should we gear researches,
what are the limits, what is their significance?
If we answer these questions
after debates on the ethics and social aspects of the questions,
the whole legal machinery can then come in and regulate it.
What is the significance of events like Researchers' Night?
In most cases the image the society has of research is
something that is in an ivory tower,
with little connection to the society.
I believe these kinds of initiatives
will allow people to know the research spaces,
bring researchers together,
and show a more human and accessible side of researchers.
The world of research, is a world,
as we all know, that is almost ignored at present
and with signs of being cast into oblivion in future.
(Music)