The world’s best-known robots are at risk of spying on their users, revealing trade secrets or even being taken over and used in physical fights, according to security experts who warn that the devices are vulnerable to cyber attack.
IOActive, a cyber security company, tested 50 robots — including SoftBank Robotics’ childlike Pepper robot and Rethink Robotics’ industrial Baxter robot — and discovered weaknesses that would allow a hacker to manipulate arms and legs and take over microphones and cameras.
As more robots replace humans in jobs from construction sites to hospitals, with Pepper already being used in stores and homes and Baxter deployed on assembly lines , the impact of a potential cyber attack increases. Spending on robots and related services is set to double to $188bn in 2020, according to data from research firm IDC.