MIT professor and CSAIL director Daniela Rus talks with NEXT host John Koetsier about the limits of general-purpose robots, how specialized and modular machines could help people, and the technical and social challenges of automation.
Rus wants robots to support people with physical and cognitive tasks, but says the field has a long way to go. She argues that a robot designed to handle more tasks may be less effective at each one, so specialized machines could be more useful than a single humanoid assistant.
Rus describes robots that can work safely alongside people and adapt to human-centered settings. She suggests expanding the definition of a robot beyond humanoids and wheeled boxes: chairs, doors, or clothing could become responsive machines, with a shirt adjusting its color or temperature.
Rus describes modular systems built from identical units that can assemble into different machines, such as an arm, ladder, or alligator shape. The algorithms are advancing faster than the hardware, and large modules make concepts like a couch that transforms into a robot dog impractical. Her Roboat project in Amsterdam uses two-by-four-meter floating units that can work as boats or join to form bridges and platforms.
Rus frames automation around tasks: machines can take on precise lifting, repetitive work, and predictable physical tasks, while people provide judgment, expertise, and help when robots get stuck. She gives robot-assisted recycling as an example, with human operators guiding robots through difficult cases. Koetsier raises the risk of job displacement, and Rus argues that change will be gradual and that new kinds of work may emerge.
Asked when a general-purpose robot will handle chores at home, Rus declines to predict a date. She expects specialized machines first, such as a garbage bin that takes itself outside, a robot that entertains a cat, or tools that prepare food. A machine that does all those jobs in one humanoid form, she says, will take a long time.
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