As Aethon’s business continues to grow and autonomous service robots become a more viable, affordable option for businesses, let’s take a moment to look into the future for a bit. Sure, tech giants like Google and Amazon are investing heavily in robotics companies and starting to employ robotics in their operations today, but as we look even further ahead, we see a future that could be brighter than any of us even predicted.
Here at Aethon, we’re privileged to have many talented engineers, programmers, and healthcare consultants at our disposal—they’re the ones who have made Aethon what it is today. We are also fortunate to be in the middle of a hot-bed for robotics as this recent article from Politico Magazine points out. However, as robotics becomes a more popular professional field and is getting global attention, our nation’s youth is also showing interest in robotics as a potential career path.
This enthusiasm is taking the form of consumer products, educational programs, and more. The Romo rolling iPhone stand, designed for younger children, essentially converts an iPhone into a “pet,” fully capable of “playing” with objects in the room that are a color specified by the user. Romotive, the creator of Romo, has seen the public’s support for robotics first-hand, fully funding their first- and second-generation devices with Kickstarter.
In addition, LEGO Leagues and other science fair-inspired competitions are gravitating towards robotics as well, from Missouri to Oregon and everywhere in between. One community college in Michigan is even offering a free after-school program for middle schoolers, centered entirely around robot building.
As robotics become more popular to younger students, today’s professionals as well are looking forward to a bright future for the robotics sector as a career option. In the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ “Job Outlook 2013” survey, mechanical engineering was listed as the fifth-most in-demand bachelor’s degree. And according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of mechanical engineers in the country should experience faster than average growth due to their involvement in many other growing fields, such as transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing.
As businesses large and small begin to realize the true value of automation, we’re thrilled to see the nation’s youth—and their parents—investing their time and energy into robotics as well. By having our youth building, creating and making things through the use of accessible and modern technology we are creating a very bright future for innovation. Some of us might remember only a short generation ago where the young, curious minds were first starting to create simple computer programs using an Apple II and storing that BASIC program on magnetic tape (yours truly in 5th grade).
If the future is our children, then indications suggest a very bright future for robotics indeed.
