Robots as a threat to human workers
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe concluded in its 2003 Robotics Survey that robots are among the most demanded commodities in the world. Sectors that demand robots include industrial plants, science and technology, research, medicine, and housework. Sales growth rates in 2003 reached 35% in North America, 25% in Europe and 18% in Asia.
Robots in manufacturing have equaled the number of robots per 10,000 workers. In motor manufacturing, it can be predicted that you will have 1 robot as a replacement for 10 workers. This brings us to the level of competence and precision in terms of work done by robots and human workers.
Robots have been used in applications from food to automobiles. Japan has been the leading country in the use of robots, however, in 2003, the United States spent 877 million dollars buying robots for material handling in factories. The automotive industry has used C flexrobots for strange and dangerous jobs before, but now even the simplest tasks, such as installation and welding, are being automated.
Industry sectors that use robots
In food manufacturing and assembly, Adept Robots can produce between 75 and 125 Oreos per minute. For the service industry, automated teller machines (ATMs) have assumed the role of teller in banks. In restaurants, the self-service check-out machine is starting to be a family sight.
In the healthcare sector, experiments on the robotic companion are being carried out to help the elderly in the nursing home and in hospitals. They are equipped with a real-time video that is transmitted between nurses, patients and doctors.
Very soon, warehouse stores will be using radio frequency tags so robots can drop off or store items. Carnegie Mellon University is proud to develop the first receptionist robot. It can detect movement and greet visitors while the Asimo Honda model was being developed to replace office workers, leaving humans in charge of administrative and supervisory tasks.
New robots are also being developed for the pulp industry and paper mills. These totally eliminate the need for human labor with their precision control and smooth movement. The complete system is currently in use at the largest operational paper converter in North America.
A new virtual training system for welders has recently been launched, which will eliminate manual training and provide a new and modern approach for welders. Since the manufacturing area has been concentrating on high-end products such as luxury cars, the introduction of these virtual welding modules will increase the number of highly trained professionals in the manufacturing industry.
Steal jobs from humans
However, the humanoids who take over human jobs have been the subject of protests around the world. The Luddite movement that started in England advocates the anti-automation of jobs. Its founder, Ned Lud, was known to have destroyed the weaving machines that were beginning to replace human workers. Indeed, it can be inferred that a robotic manufacturing economy will lead to mass layoffs and worker replacements.
Robotics versus outsourcing
Choosing robots over outsourcing has also been a dilemma for manufacturers when considering cost reduction and increased productivity. The outsourcing of a manufacturing plant abroad must take into account the training of the workforce, the protection of intellectual property, among others. However, through robotics, the cost of labor is reduced and the quality standard is maintained.