A recent survey of 2000 people in the UK has revealed the jobs people would gladly give up to robots to handle – cleaning, gardening and DIY.
The survey commissioned by EPSRC UK Robotics & Autonomous Systems (UK-RAS Network) shows over 50% or respondent keen on owning cleaning robots, over 32%, gardening robots and some 30% on robots that can tackle DIY (30%); 5% even admitted they’d like a robot to dress them.
As the country’s knowledge and perception of robotics innovation has continued to evolve, 48% of us think that robotics should be used most in the manufacturing sector, 28% think we should use the technology primarily in the military, while 27% named construction as the key sector to benefit from robots. Almost a quarter (24%) now think that robotics should be used most for the medical sector, up from 17% recorded in the 2019 survey.
When it comes to specific challenges that robotics technology should handle, the top three issues identified by those surveyed are waste management (40%), climate change (30%) and crime (30%).
With technology and robotics now being used to help fight climate change, more than a third (36%) agree robots are a great tool. Similarly, over a third (37%) of UK adults agree more money should be spent on researching robotics and artificial intelligence.
“The results of this year’s survey once again deliver some fascinating insights, and highlight that the public is continuing to recognise the value of robotics innovation in tackling some of our biggest challenges – from climate change, manufacturing and construction to healthcare, social care and helping us in our own homes. We’re looking forward to enabling this important national conversation around the role of robotics technology during the UK Festival of Robotics, which this year offers a really diverse range of activities to inspire, inform and entertain people of all ages,” said Professor Robert Richardson, EPSRC UK-RAS Network Chair.
Each June, the EPSRC UK-RAS Network hosts the UK Festival of Robotics in its mission to provide academic leadership in robotics, including coordinating activities at over 30 partner universities across the UK.
