TV News LIES

Thursday, Jul 03rd

Last update06:54:21 AM GMT

You are here News Economy How robots are eating the last of America’s—and the world’s—traditional manufacturing jobs

How robots are eating the last of America’s—and the world’s—traditional manufacturing jobs

E-mail Print PDF

Baxter, the robotBaxter, the affordable, humanoid industrial robot recently unveiled by Rethink Robotics, is so easy to program that I once did it one-handed and drunk. We were at a party at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and he was standing in the corner, looking lonely. No, really—Baxter has expressive eyes projected on a touchscreen where you’d expect it to have a face, virtually guaranteeing that you’ll anthropomorphize it.

Drink in hand, I walked over and, with only the vaguest sense of how to get it to respond to my touch, grabbed it by the wrist. I guided its “hand” over to a box full of small objects. Its caliper-like fingers closed on a widget. Then I moved its hand, which offered almost no resistance at all, to another position on the table. It dropped the object.

After that, it dutifully repeated the procedure I had taught it, again and again, emptying the box. In a display of the sort of capabilities that used to be almost impossible in robotics but are now routine, its machine vision allowed it to cope with the differences in position and shape of each of the widgets. Baxter was untroubled by the poor lighting, loud music or my clumsiness.

In less time than it takes to update my calendar, I had, in essence, trained Baxter to pack a box for shipping, or to transfer goods from one conveyor belt to another—two tasks that are common in manufacturing and distribution centers.

More...


Most Recent Related Stories...


Fed would have cut US interest rates by now if it weren’t for Trump’s tariffs, says Jerome Powell

Jerome Powell Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said earlier this morning that the central bank would likely have...

Federal cuts hit farmers and food banks: 'It really hurts'

Food pantrySylvia Tisdale believes in feeding the hungry so much that, at 70 years old, she attempted...

Federal Reserve holds interest rates, defying Trump’s demand to lower them

rome PowellThe US Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold, but signaled it might make two cuts...

Procter & Gamble to cut up to 7,000 jobs amid economic and tariff pressure

P&G to cut 7,000 jobsProcter & Gamble will cut up to 7,000 jobs, or approximately 6% of its global workforce,...
 
America's # 1 Enemy
Tee Shirt
& Help Support TvNewsLIES.org!
TVNL Tee Shirt
 
TVNL TOTE BAG
Conserve our Planet
& Help Support TvNewsLIES.org!
 
Get your 9/11 & Media
Deception Dollars
& Help Support TvNewsLIES.org!
 
The Loaded Deck
The First & the Best!
The Media & Bush Admin Exposed!