IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY ON ROBOTICS INNOVATIONS

Over engineering history, environmental and social needs inspire the development and innovation of many beautiful applications. For example, when industrial robots entered our industrial life, significant advances, especially in the automotive industry, where industrial robots cover about 90 % of the car industry activities, started to change our lives. Elderly people around the globe are increasing rapidly, and this requires us to focus on their needs as their children leave them alone in our busy daily life. Mechatronics and robotics can offer many possibilities to help older people by providing intelligent solutions for their daily needs and entertaining them during their lonely extended stay at their homes. Many companies provide intelligent mobile robots in different platforms (wheeled or walking) to help the elderly depend on themselves in receiving their food and medicine at prescheduled times. Other companies are interested in providing smart wheelchairs to help elderly people navigate indoor and outdoor freely and conveniently without any external help.Meanwhile, some companies are providing entertainment robots in different shapes to talk, play and communicate with elderly people in an excellent way. This paper aims to explore the mechatronics and robotics capabilities to assist elderly people and make their lives easier, comfortable, and self-governing without any external help. This paper will also highlight the effect of the environment and the social needs in inspiring innovations. This paper will also discuss the idea and motivation behind two of Al-Jazari's robotic applications (Although the term robot was not coined at that time). These two devices are the washing hands and the peacock fountain. Although he used to applymechanical structure and fluid for controlling the motion of the two devices, they were terrific and resemble some of the robotic applications nowadays.