It’s debatable how much a “remote controlled helicopters with a camera” should fall under “robotics”; progress in that area seems pretty orthogonal to issues like manipulation and autonomy.
(Though on the other hand modern drones are better at mechanical control “just” remote control: good drones have a feedback loop so that they correct their position)
I think drones will probably serve as the driver of more advanced technologies—e.g. drones that can deposit and pick up payloads, ground-based remote-controlled robots with an integration of human and automatic motion control.
It’s debatable how much a “remote controlled helicopters with a camera” should fall under “robotics”; progress in that area seems pretty orthogonal to issues like manipulation and autonomy.
(Though on the other hand modern drones are better at mechanical control “just” remote control: good drones have a feedback loop so that they correct their position)
I think drones will probably serve as the driver of more advanced technologies—e.g. drones that can deposit and pick up payloads, ground-based remote-controlled robots with an integration of human and automatic motion control.