Nimblenewrobotschangeindustry
Drachten, theNetherlands
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, California, arguesthattherearestillsteepobstacles. andquot; Ihadanearlynaiveteaboutuniversalrobotsthatcouldjustdoanything, andquot; dijo. 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.
ARobot deCarreraTomaForma
AtanautomationtradeshowlastyearinChicago,RonPotter,thedirectorofroboticstechnologyatanAtlantaconsultingfirmcalledFactoryAutomationSystems,offeredanexampleofaroboticmanufacturingsystemthatinitiallycost$250,000andreplacedtwomachineoperators,eachearning$50,000ayear. Overthe15-yearlifeofthesystem, themachinesyielded$ 3 .5millioninlaborandproductivitysavings.
GovernmentofficialsandindustryexecutivesintheUnitedStatesarguethateveniffactoriesareautomated, theystillareavaluablesourceofjobs. IftheUnitedStatesdoesnotcompeteforadvancedmanufacturinginindustrieslikeconsumerelectronics, itcouldloseproductengineeringanddesignaswell. Además, eventhoughblue collarjobswillbelost, moreefficientmanufacturingwillcreateskilledjobsindesigning, operatingandservicingtheassemblylines.
Androbotmakerssaytheirindustryitselfcreatesjobs.AreportcommissionedbytheInternationalFederationofRoboticslastyearfoundthat150,000peoplearealreadyemployedbyroboticsmanufacturersworldwide.
ButAmericanandEuropeandominanceinthenextgenerationofmanufacturingisuncertain. andquot; WhatIseeisthattheChinesearegoingtoapplyrobots, también, andquot; saidFransvanHouten, Philipsand #39; schiefexecutive. andquot; Thewindowofopportunitytobringmanufacturingbackisbeforethathappens.andquot;
AMás rápidoAsambleaLínea
AtTeslaMotorsinFremont, California, ontheedgeofSiliconValley, asmanyaseightrobotsperformaballetaroundeachvehicleasitstopsateachstationalongtheproductionlineforjustfiveminutes. Therobotarmsseemhumanwhentheyreachovertoastandandchangetheirandquot; handandquot; toperformadifferenttask. Whilethemanyrobotsinautofactoriestypicallyperformonlyonefunction, aTeslarobotmightdouptofour: soldadura, remachado, bondingandinstallingacomponent. Ultimatelyasmanyas83TeslaSelectricluxurysedansadaywillbeproducedatthefactory.Whenthecompanyaddsasportutilityvehiclenextyear,itwillbebuiltonthesameassemblyline,oncetherobotsarereprogrammed.
Teslaand #39; sfactoryistinybutrepresentsasignificantbetonflexiblerobots, onethatcouldbeamodelfortheindustry. Andothersarealreadythinkingbigger.
HyundaiandBeijingMotorsrecentlycompletedamammothfactoryoutsideBeijingthatcanproduceamillionvehiclesayearusingmorerobotsandfewerpeoplethanthebigfactoriesoftheircompetitorsandwiththesameflexibilityasTeslaand#39;s,saidPaulChau,anAmericanventurecapitalistatWIHarper.
Humansand #39;Cambio dePapel
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, California, arobotarmedwithelectronicandquot; eyesandquot; andasmallscoopandsuctioncupsrepeatedlypicksupboxesanddropsthemontoaconveyorbelt.
TherobotusesatechnologypioneeredinMicrosoftand #39; sKinectmotionsensingsystemforitsXboxvideogamesystem.
SuchrobotswillputautomationwithinrangeofcompanieslikeFederalExpressandUnitedParcelServicethatnowemploytensofthousandsofworkersdoingsuchtasks.
Concretas-upbehindtherobot,IndustrialPerceptionInc.ofMenloPark,California, willwinitsfirstcontractifitsmachinecanmoveoneboxeveryfourseconds. Theengineersareconfidentthattherobotwillsoondomuchbetterthanthat, pickingupandsettingdownoneboxpersecond.
andquot; Weand #39; reonthecuspofcompletelychangingmanufacturinganddistribution, andquot; saidGaryBradski, visionscientistwhoisafounderofIndustrialPerception amachine. andquot;Ithinkitand#39;snotassingularanevent,butitwillultimatelyhaveasbiganimpactastheInternet.andquot;
