Automating Daily Tasks Could Be Bad For Your Health

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Robots have been increasingly performing many tasks that humans used to do, which is both good and bad. On the one hand, robots can help humans do things that are dangerous, not currently done well by humans or draw time from other, more important activities. On the other hand, robots can make humans lazier, less capable and less mentally and physically active (thus hastening the progression to when Skynet takes over the world). Just look at how many advertisements on QVC, the Home Shopping Network, airplane magazines and the Internet offer you machines to perform tasks, such as the beer pouring robot and the automatic self-stirring mug, so that you have more time to do important things such as watching reality shows and buying more beer. The irony is that you may be paying lots of money for exercise classes, programs and videos to help you do tasks for physical fitness that you are now paying machines and others to do for you.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am all for robots. Partly because I have watched many movies and television shows starring robots, such as Star Wars, Short Circuit, Wall-E, Transformers, Lost in Space and Friends. Partly because my other work involves developing computational tools to assist health, medicine and public health decision-making. Partly to kiss up to robots so that when they eventually take over our world and make us their servants, I can become a middle manager and tell the rest of you that the robot's enslavement of you is for your own good. Robots can do a lot of good, especially when they can help us accomplish what we could not without them. But what about robots replacing tasks that we could easily do ourselves?

Well, Simone Giertz, an inventor, houseboat inhabitant and YouTuber from Stockholm, Sweden, shows you the potential of robots that have little to no potential . She has developed a series of robots and calls herself the "Queen of the (expletive) robots" with the expletive sounding very much like the word "city" except beginning with a "shh" sound. (If you still don't know what expletive I'm referring to then perhaps you need a robot to help you.) In fact, her robots, in slang terms, are "killer" (i.e., impressive or "cool"), getting more and more attention in cyberspace. For example, here's her clapping machine that spares you all the effort, calories and hazards of having to clap for yourself:

Who needs real family, friends and people to offer encouragement when you have a clapping machine,  Facebook  likes, energy drinks and Kelly Clarkson music? And what happens if you have trouble waking up in the morning because you are a deep sleeper, hate your job or don't like your life? Here's her wake-up machine that can slap you in the face:

Also, if you are worried that robots will do things too "well" or "perfectly," her robots bring the wonderfully human quality of incompetence. For instance, watch how her breakfast machine pours milk and cereal:

Giertz was not originally an engineer by training but says, "I started learning about electronics because I had a lot of ideas I wanted to prototype. I had ambitions to actually launch a product commercially, but realized prototyping process itself was way more fun." Unless Skynet will try to use applause to lull us into a false sense of security, Giertz's robots will probably not be leading the revolution that eventually overthrows humans. Although her Chopping Machine could do some damage, especially if you are Chad:

However, her robots and delightful dialogue highlight a revolution that has been occurring: machines taking over tasks that perhaps we should still be doing. Is relieving you of physical chores helpful or actually harmful?

Perhaps you have heard of the saying that "sitting is the new smoking," which alludes to evidence that sitting too long may be connected to a range of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, muscle and back problems and potentially increased risk of death. Plus, sitting could literally become a pain in the butt. (Of course, "sitting" means any type of sedentary behavior, so, sorry, lying down or reclining doesn't help...except to relieve butt pain.) Desk contraptions such as standing desks and desk treadmills could help reduce sitting time. But these devices could cost you anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Moreover, why add contraptions to deal with problems caused by other contraptions? This would be analogous to turning on the heater because the air conditioner is making the room too cold. Maybe ditching some of the machines that make your life "easier" will motivate you to move around a bit more.  

So are robots good? That depends. Just like the Terminator movies, some robots are good. Some are bad. Some are useful. Some are useless. Keep in mind that some of the useless robots could actually become killer more ways than one.


