On 12th of November, we are going to see a first of its kind – the first non-human ringing the closing bell on NASDAQ. Its not a breakthrough moment in history, but it is a symbolic moment that describes the evolution of robotics outside academics and labs.
About 25 years ago when I first got exposed to the technology, Robotics was more of an academics concept and existed sparsely in labs. It took a slower-than-expected evolution for Robotics to reach where it is today. The concepts of robotics are very prevalent in well controlled industrial and manufacturing segments, but there is lot to accomplish for the technology to be viable in day-to-day life. If the technology and funding interest in Robotics in the recent years continues for some more time, we are for sure going to witness that viability becoming a reality soon. Keshav’s recent projects with Gunn Robotics team are fun to watch and are a good sign that the viability is kicking in. This related Forbes article discusses the business and research interest in the area of Robotics and is a good read.
On 12th November, I will for sure watch that closing bell. That would be more of another baby step moment for Robotics.