Though much of the automation taking place in today’s society is done behind the scenes, there are a few ways that we see it becoming more prevalent in our everyday lives. Our everyday routines may soon involve more technology than ever before. We’ve mapped out a few ways you may already experience automation and how it is making everyone’s lives more convenient.
1. Grocery Buzz
First introduced as an idea in 2013, the concept of drone delivery now seems more plausible than ever. But just five years ago, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos introduced his plans to make it happen. In 2017, Amazon acquired Whole Foods grocery stores. This may have been the next step for Amazon towards delivering groceries to customers quickly and efficiently by drone.
Other grocery stores are also looking into this system of delivery. Many different technologies go into making the grocery shopping experience more efficient. There are refrigerators can add items to your shopping list, same-day grocery delivery services, and apps that can only add items within a certain nutrition plan.
2. Robots for Early Learning
There are many ways, from communication to teaching social skills, that robotics can help in the classroom. Robots can make it possible for all children, even those who are sick or disabled, to attend and participate in class. They can also help kids learn. For example, Milo and NAO are robots that have been introduced into schools to help children with autism learn language and social interaction. Because these robots limit the stimuli, they can make learning more comfortable for students with all types of unique learning needs. This success makes it more likely that use of robots in classrooms will continue to grow.
3. Smart Homes
For years the world has imagined how robots and automation would affect everyday life at home. While there aren’t home robots like in The Jetsons, we can see how the Roomba and Nest are quickly becoming fixtures in many homes. Voice-operated smart systems have become more prevalent over the past few years as well. Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home can operate lights in your home, lock your doors, wake you up in the mornings and more! With these systems, home life can be more efficient and more comfortable than ever. You no longer need to get up to play music, check the weather, or set timers.
4. Machine Learning in Entertainment and Navigation
Automation affects our lives every day in the form of machine learning, many times without notice. Anyone who has ever streamed from Netflix or used a navigation app in the car has experienced this effect. Companies like Netflix use machine learning to understand consumers’ viewing behaviors and provide suggestions. Machine learning is also used in car navigation apps to determine if there is traffic along your route. The app examines data from other users for faster ways to get you where you need to go and reroutes you automatically. Eventually, the app learns patterns of vehicle behavior and can suggest new routes that cut off more time.
2018 is filled with technology, even if it might not be exactly the robot utopia that some past science fiction authors predicted. These are just a few examples of how technology can make our everyday lives more efficient and even more enjoyable.
