Growing up in the 90’s, the Jetsons was one of my favorite cartoons. Episodes revolve around the daily lives of a futuristic family living in the year 2062 (100 years after its debut in 1962). The technological advances that the cartoon showed – from transportation tubes to robotic assistance – were beyond my imagination at that time. While we still have 44 years to go, how close are actually we to living like the Jetsons?
Rosie the Robot: AI, Machine Learning & Voice Recognition software
The Jetsons had a robot housemaid named Rosie, who could perform household chores and engage in conversation. While we can’t go out and ‘buy a complete Rosie’ yet, there are devices on the market today that encompass some of Rosie’s functions:
Home Robots: Roomba
While Home Robots have existed since the ‘90’s, the technology was not as sophisticated it is nowadays. When the Roomba, a robotic vacuum cleaner, was released in 2002, it relied on very basic AI capabilities. The first version was able to avoid walls and stairs through sensors. However, the newest version of the Roomba has been refined: many more features are added, such as identifying the most efficient routes and methods to clean a room, based on previous data of usage.
Assigning task to Robotic devices: Voice Recognition Software
Whenever the Jetsons needed something done, they would ask Rosie to do it. In modern day society, Voice assistants like Alexa (Amazon), Siri (Apple) and Bixby (Samsung) are close substitute, as they use machine learning and voice recognition software to help users accomplish tasks through their smartphones and other devices by listening to specific commands.
While the two above mentioned functions are just the tip of the iceberg, it is a fact that robotic assistance already plays a big part in people’s daily lives. Devices on the market are getting smarter and are able to communicate with each other. With 44 years to go to reach 2062, we are still far away from flying cars that fold into a suitcase. However, the show’s vision on living in the future has come true to some extent: we can already video call and we do have smartwatches to call with. Hopefully, by the time we reach 2062, these, and other technologies will be developed even further, enabling 3D calling, or calling while showing a live hologram of the other person.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/evaluating-smart-home-technology-from-the-jetsons/
https://www.smartsheet.com/voice-assistants-artificial-intelligence
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245192
