DailyDirt: Robots Are Stealing Our Jobs
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
Robots are moving towards taking over more tasks that are boring and/or unpleasant for people to do. Some folks are concerned that robots will replace too many human jobs, but it’ll take some time before robots are cheap enough to really replace a lot of people. Still, it really is just a matter of time before robot costs come down, so we’d better start preparing for the inevitable. Here are just a few robot projects that are trying to play nice with us.
- Baxter is a 6-foot tall, 300-lb robot that is easy to program, costs about $22,000, is designed to work safely next to humans by moving slowly and gently, and could help bring back manufacturing to countries with high standards of living. Unlike other manufacturing robots, Baxter doesn’t have to be put in a protective cage and can self-adapt to small changes in its work environment. [url]
- The Last Moment Robot is designed to comfort dying hospital patients — but it’s just an art project for now and not an actual prototype for practical use. Other therapeutic robots have been used in nursing homes, but these comforting robots sound a bit more creepy than calming. At least they’re trying, though. [url]
- Would you trust a three-armed robotic barber to shave your head? One guy had his head shaved for charity by a remote-controlled mechanical barber, and he lived to tell the tale. He also looked very nervous during the procedure. [url]
If you’d like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post.
Filed Under: automation, barber, baxter, manufacturing, robots, therapeutic robots
Comments on “DailyDirt: Robots Are Stealing Our Jobs”
I would not trust a remote-controlled barber
I like my ears. Don’t shave them off with a robot arm.
South Park Anyone?
Now the robots have took our jobs. They took our jobs,Deker Derp.
Silly Humans
Our ancestors toiled at work for generations. We have embraced technology (to an extent) and have created countless tools that can perform nearly all the work that we once did. So, do we benefit from our ingenuity? No, we complain that robots steal our jobs. What do you want a job for?
There is really no reason that people should have to work anymore. People could literally work for a few months and then be rotated out. People could then do whatever they wished with their time. Isn’t that the goal? Why would your goal be to work an 80 hour week?
Take some time off, enjoy life, watch the clouds float by and quit believing in the myth that you need to work every day your entire life to be successful.
It is a major shift of mindset to understand that humans no longer need to work as most currently feel we do.
Re: Silly Humans
Explain that philosophy to the bill collectors…
Re: Indeed, Silly Humans
To follow your line of thinking, if there is no need to work, there is no need to learn either, is that correct? I mean if I don’t need a job, why do I need to learn math or science, programming…
Unfortunately, at least for me, I have yet to find anyone willing to pay me(at least anything approaching what I want to make) to do nothing. Without that pay, I have no roof over my head, no food, no water, no electricity, no heat or air conditioning, no TV, no car, no fuel (for the car), insurance to keep me healthy…
In other words, without work (and thus pay), I have none of the things that make my life comfortable.
Please tell me where your ‘Utopian’ society is. A place where no one works, and everyone reaps the benefits. Just one question, who keeps all the robots running? The apes I suppose.
Finally, I proffer that most humans, by their nature are lazy, and without the desire for things like food, a home, a car, an xbox… many would be quite happy to not work at all.
Wait, doesn’t history teach of a society or two similar to this in the past. Obviously, they didn’t use robots, they used slaves. The point was the same though. Why should we, the entitled be expected to work? We should enjoy life… In the long term it didn’t seem to pan out to well for them.
I’m just wondering what that third arm is used for…
Robot and Frank. A must-see movie.
Re: Re:
Robot and Frank. A must-see movie.
It would help if it was being shown somewhere other than film festivals…
Where have you been? I started programming Robotics in 1980 for factories. It has only advanced since. The research hasn’t stopped, nor has the coding. You need to look into AI also. It is ready to pilot Starships.
welcome to the future-past
Haven’t “they” been complaining of this since the industrial revolution? They were right, too. Send those damn robots back to where they came from.