Much of the research on automation’s threat to jobs focuses on the kinds of jobs humans are likely to lose. Driving, financial services, and repetitive low-dexterity tasks are likely to be taken over. Jobs requiring social interactions and opposable thumbs are safer from automation. The Institute for Spatial Economic Analysis (ISEA) has another idea. They… Read more »
If you keep up with news about automation, you might have noticed that researchers have created robots that can reportedly eat, die, and possibly even reproduce. Don’t get too excited. The robots in question are actually an artificial metabolism “inspired by… slime mold.” The researchers don’t claim that they have made any robotic slime mold,… Read more »
Notre Dame de Paris, built 850 years ago, was recently damaged by fire. As many as 50,000 visitors come to Notre Dame each day to experience the treasures of European civilization, enjoy the music of one of the most famous organs in the world, and attend religious services. The world was relieved when the Paris… Read more »
Printing is one of the industries where Rexroth provides the unbeatable combination of power and precision. While newspapers’ print circulation has been falling since the internet was born, innovative packaging has been challenging the printing industry and keeping the presses running. What trends are affecting printing now? Consumers demand customization from manufacturing. This increasing trend… Read more »
Boston Dynamics robot dogs — 10 of them, looking more like a robot centipede than a dog — pulled a truck up a slight grade to show off their power. This is the Boston Dynamics SpotMini, a 66 pound quadruped machine that will be on the market this year. The makers see this as a… Read more »
The National Association of Manufacturers reports that one quarter of U.S. manufacturers had to turn down business opportunities for one simple reason: not enough workers. American manufacturing has been suffering from a lack of qualified workers for years. Manufacturing has changed, and now requires more tech skills, which new grads mostly don’t have. American students… Read more »
The Rexroth Indramat TDM is a servo drive known for — and designed for — versatility. These low and medium power drives were perfect for motion control in automotive applications and for CNC (computer numerical control) machinery designed for metalworking and woodworking. These drives made possible a very high level of precision — far greater… Read more »
Retail behemoth Walmart will bring thousands more robots into its stores. This, Walmart says, will make the human workers happy. Automation is supposed to make workers happy. Workers who can give up repetitive, tedious, or dangerous jobs should be happy. Walmart is taking human beings out of the most unsatisfying jobs, like scrubbing floors or… Read more »
The Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was organized in 1866. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children followed not long after, in 1874. The Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Robots was founded in 1999. Their idea is not so much that we should be courteous to industrial robot… Read more »
New Belgium brewery in Ft. Collins, Colorado, has one of the most efficient, greenest, most sustainable production facilities around. Part of this is using wind, solar, and methane for energy; reusing and repurposing multiple materials for everything from furniture to art installations; reclaiming and reusing water and heat; and thinking from the dumpster back when… Read more »
