Meeting sustainable development goals via robotics and autonomous systems.

Journal: Nature communications
Published Date: Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

Robotics and autonomous systems are reshaping the world, changing healthcare, food production and biodiversity management. While they will play a fundamental role in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, associated opportunities and threats are yet to be considered systematically. We report on a horizon scan evaluating robotics and autonomous systems impact on all Sustainable Development Goals, involving 102 experts from around the world. Robotics and autonomous systems are likely to transform how the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved, through replacing and supporting human activities, fostering innovation, enhancing remote access and improving monitoring. Emerging threats relate to reinforcing inequalities, exacerbating environmental change, diverting resources from tried-and-tested solutions and reducing freedom and privacy through inadequate governance. Although predicting future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on the Sustainable Development Goals is difficult, thoroughly examining technological developments early is essential to prevent unintended detrimental consequences. Additionally, robotics and autonomous systems should be considered explicitly when developing future iterations of the Sustainable Development Goals to avoid reversing progress or exacerbating inequalities.

Authors

  • Solène Guenat
    Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. solene.guenat@ilpoe.uni-stuttgart.de.
  • Phil Purnell
    School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  • Zoe G Davies
    Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
  • Maximilian Nawrath
    Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  • Lindsay C Stringer
    Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK.
  • Giridhara Rathnaiah Babu
    Department of Population Medicine, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
  • Muniyandi Balasubramanian
    Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, India.
  • Erica E F Ballantyne
    Sheffield University Management School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
  • Bhuvana Kolar Bylappa
    Department of Pharmacology, St John's Medical College and Hospital, Bengaluru, India.
  • Bei Chen
    Department of Urban Studies and Planning, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
  • Peta De Jager
    Smart Places, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa.
  • Andrea Del Prete
    Industrial Engineering Department, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
  • Alessandro Di Nuovo
    Sheffield Robotics, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, S11WB, UK. a.dinuovo@shu.ac.uk.
  • Cyril O Ehi-Eromosele
    Department of Chemistry, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria.
  • Mehran Eskandari Torbaghan
    School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK.
  • Karl L Evans
    School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
  • Markus Fraundorfer
    School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  • Wissem Haouas
    Department of Automatic Control and Micro-Mechatronic Systems, Femto-st Institute, Besançon, France.
  • Josephat U Izunobi
    Department of Chemistry, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Juan Carlos Jauregui-Correa
    Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico.
  • Bilal Y Kaddouh
    School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  • Sonia Lewycka
    Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
  • Ana C MacIntosh
    Department of Computer Science, University of York, York, UK.
  • Christine Mady
    Department of Architecture, Notre Dame University-Louaize, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon.
  • Carsten Maple
    WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
  • Worku N Mhiret
    College of Natural and Computational Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
  • Rozhen Kamal Mohammed-Amin
    Digital Cultural Heritage Research Center, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
  • Olukunle Charles Olawole
    Department of Physics, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria.
  • Temilola Oluseyi
    Department of Chemistry, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Caroline Orfila
    Global Food and Environment Institute, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  • Alessandro Ossola
    Department of Plant Sciences, University of CA, Davis, MA, USA.
  • Marion Pfeifer
    School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
  • Tony Pridmore
    School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
  • Moti L Rijal
    Central Department of Geology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
  • Christine C Rega-Brodsky
    Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS, USA.
  • Ian D Robertson
    School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  • Christopher D F Rogers
    Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
  • Charles Rougé
    Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
  • Maryam B Rumaney
    MB Rumaney Scientific Consulting, Cape Town, South Africa.
  • Mmabaledi K Seeletso
    SADC Centre for Distance Education, Botswana Open University, Gaborone, Botswana.
  • Mohammed Z Shaqura
    School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  • L M Suresh
    International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya.
  • Martin N Sweeting
    FAIR-SPACE, Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
  • Nick Taylor Buck
    The Urban Institute, Faculty of Social Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
  • M U Ukwuru
    Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal Polytechnic Idah, Idah, Nigeria.
  • Thomas Verbeek
    Department of Urban Studies and Planning, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
  • Hinrich Voss
    HEC Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
  • Zia Wadud
    Institute for Transport Studies and School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  • Xinjun Wang
    Department of Environmental Design, School of Art and Design, Changzhou Institute of Technology, Changzhou, China.
  • Neil Winn
    School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  • Martin Dallimer
    Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. m.dallimer@leeds.ac.uk.

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