Abstract

The Roboethics is a new field of research linked to the development of robotic technologies. A very important moment in the evolution of robotic systems and technologies is around the 80’, when in Europe, Japan and United States a new generation of robots – called service robots – started to be designed. Service robots are applied to purposes different from the industrial ones: they are meant to accomplish several different tasks useful for human beings. This co-operation puts new questions about ethics, which really deserve studying. Moreover, this new generation of robots opens up new ethical and societal scenarios for which both the current legal system and the ethical regulations are either obsolete or not completely appropriate. Biorobotics is the study of biological systems, from a biomechatronic point of view, with a twofold objective. On one hand, the purpose of biorobotics is to develop methodologies and technologies for designing and realising bio-inspired systems and devices, such as humanoid and animaloid robots. On the other hand, biorobotics second goal consists of designing and developing devices for biomedical applications, including diagnosis, surgery, rehabilitation, assistance, bionics and neuro-robotics. In this paper, we focus on some of the research activities carried out in our laboratories ARTS and CRIM of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, in Pisa, Italy. Drawing on direct experience, we point out and discuss some of the ethical and societal implications related to research and development of biorobotics systems and technologies