The Robocalypse is coming

[rossb]

<p> It's been creeping up on us for quite some time but today I saw an article where Canon Camera plans on making all their camera's with robots by 2015. It's the robocalypse because robotics will replace complaining workers. Who needs a job anyway! </p>

[jenkins]

<p>No match for Nikonbots.</p>

[johnw436]

<p>I'd be shocked if 90% of the assembly isn't already automated. The only way I can see them justifying a human is for the small percentage of assembly where the housing has to be manipulated in some oddball way necessary to wiggle some internal board or wiring into place. The hardest part of robotics is often coming up with the jigs / tooling necessary for consistent placement. Machine vision systems have done wonders for allowing robots to handle minor exceptions such as offsets or piece-orientation.</p>

<p>As far as robots taking jobs, a robot can only do perfectly repetitive tasks. If a robot can do a person's job, that job is the ulitmate in simplicity and repetition. Where robots shine is repeatability and speed. They do not shine in functions that require a human to solve complex challenges such as fishing a wire around a bend and up through a hole. A six-axis robot can do basically what you can do with one arm while you stand in one place. For assembly work, a robot is usually a 4-axis pick-and-place machine. You only need 6-axis for manipulating the tool or the work for complex movements, i.e. what you can do with your wrist.</p>

<p> </p>

[rossb]

<blockquote>

<p>what you can do with your wrist.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I am pretty good on the golf course. I can drive the ball solidly and accurately. There is a lot of things that have to happen in the golf swing to drive the ball well. One of them is proper wrist action. <br>

However in the factory I probably would have poor wrist action. The good news is I am not going to work in a factory or buy a Canon Camera. I do not want either of those things. </p>

[leicaglow]

<p>It is just the beginning. Wait until we're all replaced by photogbots.</p>

[rossb]

<p>I guess a photogbot could replace me. It does not matter that much now that the kids are grown. They were the only subject I was really interested in anyway. I am not really needed for my new granddaughter as her parents have the photog thing covered. They have their own camera's and stuff. </p>

 

[wayne_crider4]

<p>Robots need designers, programmers, mold makers/tool and die machinist, installers and maintenance/repair people when they break down. All high paying jobs that will supplant the low paying ones of assembly line work in third world countries.</p>

[rossb]

<p> Robotics could be an interesting job for the right person. I would like a robot around the house myself to take care of my chores and such and that would free me up to work more hours at my job or to spend more quality time with my family. </p>

<p> The article did say that Canon would not be laying off employees and that they would just be doing different things. I wonder if people that buy new Leica camera's would be put off if the camera was manufactured under robot control. Maybe the collector value would be less or maybe not. I would like an M7/MP myself manufactured either way.</p>

[tom_cheshire]

<blockquote>

<p>Wayne said "Robots need designers, programmers, mold makers/tool and die machinist, installers and maintenance/repair people when they break down. All high paying jobs that will supplant the low paying ones of assembly line work in third world countries".</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'll tell that to the Florida school board who voted to lower the FCAT test standards this year because only 28% of students passed so, now, with the lower standard in place, 78% passed. That still leaves 22% who are too stupid to be be considered stupid. Duh. Time to hand out the lawn mowers to the "grad.s".</p>

[MichaelChang]

<blockquote>

<p><em>"Time to hand out the lawn mowers to the "grad.s"."</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

These will be spoiled grads, so we must supply air conditioned riding mowers. </p>

[johnw436]

<p>Tom Cheshire, as a fellow Floridian I agree with you. Notice, however, that demographic information is never published in the articles that report FCAT scores. We all know you can go to large cities in Florida (let's say Miami as an example) where there are 3rd generation residents who cannot speak fluent English. There are entire enclaves within cities where English is not used. Even here in Tampa, at most of my favorite restaurants I have to use Spanish to order my food, and my Spanish is only slightly better than hand gestures. This problem is very common anywhere south of I-4.</p>

<p>Add to this problem that public schools in Florida just aren't very good on the whole. I live where I do primarily because I want my children in a specific school. </p>

<p> </p>

[wayne_crider4]

<p>Forgive me for going off topic, but I came to Florida in 72 from Illinois and I never knew that they were any good schools except in certain locales such as Coral Springs, Boca Raton and the other higher income areas. <br>

That being said, schools do have to improve generally and not have their budgets cut so that we can have a new class of educated workers, which I believe, our Government, State and National, don't care about. </p>