Nimblenewrobotschangeindustry
Drachten, Holland
AtthePhilipsElectronicsfactoryonthecoastofChina, Hundredsofworkersusetheirhandsandspecializedtoolstoassembleelectricshavers. Thatistheoldway.
AtasisterfactoryhereintheDutchcountryside, 128robotarmsdothesameworkwithyoga-Likeflexibility. Videocamerasguidethemthroughfeatswellbeyondthecapabilityofthemostdexteroushuman.
Onerobotarmendlesslyformsthreeperfectbendsintwoconnectorwiresandslipsthemintoholesalmosttoosmallfortheeyetosee.Thearmsworksofastthattheymustbeenclosedinglasscagestopreventthepeoplesupervisingthemfrombeinginjured.Andtheydoitallwithoutacoffeebreak-threeshiftsaday, 365daysayear.
Alltold, Thefactoryherehasseveraldozenworkerspershift, AboutatenthasmanyastheplantintheChinesecityofZhuhai.
Thisisthefuture.Anewwaveofrobots,farmoreadeptthanthosenowcommonlyusedbyautomakersandotherheavymanufacturers,arereplacingworkersaroundtheworldinbothmanufacturinganddistribution. FactoriesliketheonehereintheNetherlandsareastrikingcounterpointtothoseusedbyAppleandotherconsumerelectronicsgiants, Whichemployhundredsofthousandsoflow-Skilledworkers.
Andquot; Withthesemachines, Wecanmakeanyconsumerdeviceintheworld, Andquot; SaidBinneVisser, WhomanagesthePhilipsassemblylineinDrachten.
ManyindustryexecutivesandtechnologyexpertssayPhilipsand#39;sapproachisgaininggroundonAppleand#39;s.EvenasFoxconn,Appleand#39;siPhonemanufacturer,continuestobuildnewplantsandhirethousandsofadditionalworkerstomakesmartphones,itplanstoinstallmorethanamillionrobotswithinafewyearstosupplementitsworkforceinChina.
Foxconnhasnotsaidhowmanyworkerswillbedisplaced.Butitschairman,TerryGou,hasendorsedagrowinguseofrobots. Speakingofhismorethanonemillionemployees, HesaidinJanuary, AccordingtotheofficialXinhuanewsagency: Andquot; Ashumanbeingsarealsoanimals,tomanageonemillionanimalsgivesmeaheadache.andquot;
Thefallingcostsandgrowingsophisticationofrobotshaverenewedadebateoverhowquicklyjobswillbelost.Thisyear,ErikBrynjolfssonandAndrewMcAfee,economistsattheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,madethecaseforarapidtransformation. Andquot; Thepaceandscaleofthisencroachmentintohumanskillsisrelativelyrecentandhasprofoundeconomicimplications, Andquot; Theywroteintheirbook, Andquot; RaceAgainsttheMachine.andquot;
Intheirminds,theadventoflow-costautomationforetellschangesonthescaleoftherevolutioninagriculturaltechnologyoverthelastcentury,whenfarmingemploymentintheUnitedStatesfellfrom40percentoftheworkforcetoabout2percent.
ButBranFerren, AveteranroboticistandindustrialproductdesigneratAppliedMindsinGlendale, Kalifornien, Arguesthattherearestillsteepobstacles. Andquot; Ihadanearlynaiveteaboutuniversalrobotsthatcouldjustdoanything, Andquot; er sagte. Andquot; Youhavetohavepeoplearoundanyway.Andpeopleareprettygoodatfiguringout,howdoIwiggletheradiatorinorslipthehoseon? Andthesethingsarestillhardforrobotstodo.andquot;
Beyondthetechnicalchallengesliesresistancefromunionizedworkersandcommunitiesworriedaboutjobs.EventhoughrisinglaborandtransportationcostsinAsiaandfearsofintellectualpropertytheftarenowbringingsomeworkbacktotheWest,theascensionofrobotsmaymeanfewerjobswillbecreated.
AttheFlextronicssolarpanelfactoryinMilpitas, SouthofSanFrancisco, Abannerproclaims, Andquot; BringingJobsandamp; ManufacturingBacktoCalifornia! Andquot; Yetintheplant, Therearerobotseverywhereandfewhumanworkers. Alloftheheavyliftingandalmostallofthepreciseworkisdonebyrobots.Thehumanworkerstrimexcessmaterial,threadwiresandscrewinahandfuloffasteners.
Suchadvancesinmanufacturingarealsotransformingothersectorsthatemploymillionsofworkers.Oneisdistribution,whererobotsthatzoomatthespeedoftheworldand#39;sfastestsprinterscanstore,retrieveandpackgoodsforshipmentfarmoreefficientlythanpeople.
Rapidimprovementinvisionandtouchtechnologiesisputtingawidearrayofmanualjobswithintheabilitiesofrobots.Forexample,Boeingand#39;swide-bodycommercialjetsarenowrivetedautomaticallybygiantmachinesthatmoverapidlyandpreciselyovertheskinoftheplanes.
AndatEarthboundFarmsinCalifornia, Fournewlyinstalledrobotarmswithcustomizedsuctioncupsswiftlyplaceclamshellcontainersoforganiclettuceintoshippingboxes. EachrobotreplacestwotofiveworkersatEarthbound.
ARoboterRennenNimmtForm
AtanautomationtradeshowlastyearinChicago,RonPotter,thedirectorofroboticstechnologyatanAtlantaconsultingfirmcalledFactoryAutomationSystems,offeredanexampleofaroboticmanufacturingsystemthatinitiallycost$250,000andreplacedtwomachineoperators,eachearning$50,000ayear. Overthe15-Yearlifeofthesystem, Themachinesyielded$ 3 .5millioninlaborandproductivitysavings.
GovernmentofficialsandindustryexecutivesintheUnitedStatesarguethateveniffactoriesareautomated, Theystillareavaluablesourceofjobs. IftheUnitedStatesdoesnotcompeteforadvancedmanufacturinginindustrieslikeconsumerelectronics, Itcouldloseproductengineeringanddesignaswell. Darüber hinaus Eventhoughblue-Collarjobswillbelost, Moreefficientmanufacturingwillcreateskilledjobsindesigning, Operatingandservicingtheassemblylines.
Androbotmakerssaytheirindustryitselfcreatesjobs.AreportcommissionedbytheInternationalFederationofRoboticslastyearfoundthat150,000peoplearealreadyemployedbyroboticsmanufacturersworldwide.
ButAmericanandEuropeandominanceinthenextgenerationofmanufacturingisuncertain. Andquot; WhatIseeisthattheChinesearegoingtoapplyrobots, auch Andquot; SaidFransvanHouten, Philipsand #39; Schiefexecutive. Andquot; Thewindowofopportunitytobringmanufacturingbackisbeforethathappens.andquot;
ASchnellerMontageLinie
AtTeslaMotorsinFremont, Kalifornien, OntheedgeofSiliconValley, Asmanyaseightrobotsperformaballetaroundeachvehicleasitstopsateachstationalongtheproductionlineforjustfiveminutes. Therobotarmsseemhumanwhentheyreachovertoastandandchangetheirandquot; Handandquot; Toperformadifferenttask. Whilethemanyrobotsinautofactoriestypicallyperformonlyonefunction, aTeslarobotmightdouptofour: Schweißen, Nieten, Bondingandinstallingacomponent. Ultimatelyasmanyas83TeslaSelectricluxurysedansadaywillbeproducedatthefactory.Whenthecompanyaddsasportutilityvehiclenextyear,itwillbebuiltonthesameassemblyline,oncetherobotsarereprogrammed.
Teslaand #39; Sfactoryistinybutrepresentsasignificantbetonflexiblerobots, Onethatcouldbeamodelfortheindustry. Andothersarealreadythinkingbigger.
HyundaiandBeijingMotorsrecentlycompletedamammothfactoryoutsideBeijingthatcanproduceamillionvehiclesayearusingmorerobotsandfewerpeoplethanthebigfactoriesoftheircompetitorsandwiththesameflexibilityasTeslaand#39;s,saidPaulChau,anAmericanventurecapitalistatWIHarper.
Humansand #39;ÄndernRolle
InthedecadesincehebeganworkingasawarehousemaninTolleson,Arizona,JoshGraveshasseenhowautomationsystemscanmakeworkeasierbutalsocreatenewstressandinsecurity.ThegiantfacilitywhereheworksdistributesdrygoodsforKrogersupermarkets.
Mr.Graves, 29, Wenttoworkinthewarehouserightoutofhighschool. Thedemandingjobrequiredliftingheavyboxesandthehourswerelong.
TodayMr.Gravesdrivesasmallforklift-likemachine.Hewearsheadsetsandisinstructedbyacomputerizedvoiceonwheretogointhewarehousetogatherorstoreproducts.AcentralizedcomputertheworkerscallTheBraindictatestheirspeed.Managersknowexactlywhattheworkersdo,tothepreciseminute.
Becauseworkersaredoinglessphysicallabor,therearefewerinjuries,saidRomeAloise,aTeamstersvicepresidentinNorthernCalifornia.Becauseacomputersetsthepace,thestressisnowmorepsychological.
Severalyearsago,Mr.Gravesand#39;swarehouseinstalledaGermansystemthatautomaticallystoresandretrievescasesoffood.Thatledtotheeliminationof106jobs,or20percentoftheworkforce.
NowKrogerplanstobuildahighlyautomatedwarehouseinTolleson.
Andquot; Wedonand #39; Thaveaproblemwiththemachinescoming, Andquot; Mr.Gravestoldcityofficials. Andquot; ButtellKrogerwedonand#39;twanttolosethesejobsinourcity.andquot;
Somejobsarestillbeyondthereachofautomation:constructionjobsthatrequireworkerstomoveinunpredictablesettingsandperformdifferenttasksthatarenotrepetitive;assemblyworkthatrequirestactilefeedbacklikeplacingfiberglasspanelsinsideairplanes,boatsorcars;andassemblyjobswhereonlyalimitedquantityofproductsaremadeorwheretherearemanyversionsofeachproduct,requiringexpensivereprogrammingofrobots.
Butthatlistisgrowingshorter.
InanindustrialneighborhoodinPaloAlto, Kalifornien, Arobotarmedwithelectronicandquot, Eyesandquot, Andasmallscoopandsuctioncupsrepeatedlypicksupboxesanddropsthemontoaconveyorbelt.
TherobotusesatechnologypioneeredinMicrosoftand #39; sKinectmotionsensingsystemforitsXboxvideogamesystem.
SuchrobotswillputautomationwithinrangeofcompanieslikeFederalExpressandUnitedParcelServicethatnowemploytensofthousandsofworkersdoingsuchtasks.
Startindex-upbehindtherobot,IndustrialPerceptionInc.ofMenloPark,California, Willwinitsfirstcontractifitsmachinecanmoveoneboxeveryfourseconds. Theengineersareconfidentthattherobotwillsoondomuchbetterthanthat, Pickingupandsettingdownoneboxpersecond.
Andquot; Weand #39; Reonthecuspofcompletelychangingmanufacturinganddistribution, Andquot; SaidGaryBradski, Amachine-VisionscientistwhoisafounderofIndustrialPerception. andquot;Ithinkitand#39;snotassingularanevent,butitwillultimatelyhaveasbiganimpactastheInternet.andquot;
