Due to a "sick" computer, our normally-scheduled episode will be posted later this week.  Please enjoy this rebroadcast of one or our most popular episodes of 2020.

Robots are one more tool in the arsenal against COVID-19.

And Eugene Demaitre, senior editor of The Robot Report, sees them being put to use in numerous ways to fight the pandemic.

Sterilization, assisting medical professionals and, in some situations, monitoring health, are all tasks for which robots are suited.  And as with many other forms of technology, after the pandemic ends, they may be much more a part of daily life.

As discussed in our 2018 interview, Eugene sees robots as augmenting, rather than replacing, humans in the workforce.   WIth COVID-19 and social distancing, they're especially effective.

Eugene explained the various roles in which robots are functioning during the pandemic,, offered some resources for aspiring roboticists and shared some insights for the future.

On this edition of Over Coffee®, you will hear:


How robots are serving "on the front lines" in healthcare;


A closer look at the way a  disinfection robot works;


How robots allow for expansion of human capabilities, through telemedicine;


Some of the considerations involved in delivery applications;


Why food-handling automation may soon become more common;


Where we are, currently, with telepresence robots;


Eugene's recommendations for educational robotic resources;


What human skills will be most needed in the post-pandemic job market;


How drones are being put to use in China;


Resources for open-source software and learning more about robotics while we're isolated;


How robotic capabilities are evolving to meet the needs of smaller businesses;


A look forward, at what we may see in the robotic field after the pandemic.

 

For more information on current robotics developments, check out The Robot Report, Robotics Business Review and Collaborative Robotics Trends.