The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe concluded in its 2003 Robotics Survey that robots are among the most in-demand 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 the manufacturing industry have been equated as the number of robots per 10,000 workers. In motor manufacturing, one robot can be expected to replace 10 workers. This brings us to the level of competence and precision in terms of jobs done by robots and by human workers.
Robots have been used in applications from food to automobiles. Japan has been the leading country in the use of robots, yet in 2003 the United States spent $877 million purchasing robots for material handling in factories. The auto industry has used C flexrobots for odd and dangerous jobs before, but now even the simplest tasks like installation and welding are being automated.
Industrial sectors that use robots
In food manufacturing and assembly, Adept Robots can make 75 to 125 Oreo cookies per minute. For the service industry, automated teller machines (ATMs) have taken over the role of teller in banks. In restaurants, the self-service checkout machine is starting to be a familiar sight.
In the health services sector, experiments are being carried out with robotic companions to help the elderly in nursing homes and hospitals. They are equipped with a real-time video feed that is transmitted between nurses, patients, and doctors.
Very soon, warehouse stores will use radio frequency tags so robots can drop off or store items. Carnegie Mellon University is proud to develop the first receptionist robot. You can feel the movement and greet visitors as the Asimo Honda model was developed to replace office workers, leaving humans in charge of administrative and supervisory tasks.
New robots are also being developed for the pulp and paper mill industry. These totally eliminate the need for human labor with their precision control and smooth movement. The entire system is currently being used at the largest operating 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 to welders. Since the manufacturing area has been concentrating on high-end products like luxury cars, the introduction of these virtual welding modules will increase the number of highly-skilled professionals in the manufacturing industry.
Steal jobs from humans
However, humanoids taking on human jobs have been the subject of protests around the world. The luddism movement that began in England advocates the anti-automation of jobs. Its founder, Ned Lud, was known to destroy knitting 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 vs. outsourcing
Choosing robots over outsourcing has also been a dilemma for manufacturers when considering cost reduction and increased productivity. Outsourcing a manufacturing facility abroad must take into account workforce training, intellectual property protection, among others. However, through robotics, the cost of labor is reduced and the quality standard is maintained.