कुशल काम है, कार्यकर्ता बिना

Nimblenewrobotschangeindustry

Drachten, theNetherlands

AtthePhilipsElectronicsfactoryonthecoastofChina, hundredsofworkersusetheirhandsandspecializedtoolstoassembleelectricshavers. Thatistheoldway.

AtasisterfactoryhereintheDutchcountryside, 128robotarmsdothesameworkwithyoga-likeflexibility. Videocamerasguidethemthroughfeatswellbeyondthecapabilityofthemostdexteroushuman.

Onerobotarmendlesslyformsthreeperfectbendsintwoconnectorwiresandslipsthemintoholesalmosttoosmallfortheeyetosee.Thearmsworksofastthattheymustbeenclosedinglasscagestopreventthepeoplesupervisingthemfrombeinginjured.Andtheydoitallwithoutacoffeebreak-threeshiftsaday, 365daysayear.

Alltold, thefactoryherehasseveraldozenworkerspershift, aboutatenthasmanyastheplantintheChinesecityofZhuhai.

Thisisthefuture.Anewwaveofrobots,farmoreadeptthanthosenowcommonlyusedbyautomakersandotherheavymanufacturers,arereplacingworkersaroundtheworldinbothmanufacturinganddistribution. FactoriesliketheonehereintheNetherlandsareastrikingcounterpointtothoseusedbyAppleandotherconsumerelectronicsgiants, whichemployhundredsofthousandsoflow-skilledworkers.

andquot; Withthesemachines, wecanmakeanyconsumerdeviceintheworld, andquot; saidBinneVisser, whomanagesthePhilipsassemblylineinDrachten.

ManyindustryexecutivesandtechnologyexpertssayPhilipsand#39;sapproachisgaininggroundonAppleand#39;s.EvenasFoxconn,Appleand#39;siPhonemanufacturer,continuestobuildnewplantsandhirethousandsofadditionalworkerstomakesmartphones,itplanstoinstallmorethanamillionrobotswithinafewyearstosupplementitsworkforceinChina.

Foxconnhasnotsaidhowmanyworkerswillbedisplaced.Butitschairman,TerryGou,hasendorsedagrowinguseofrobots. Speakingofhismorethanonemillionemployees, hesaidinJanuary, accordingtotheofficialXinhuanewsagency: andquot; Ashumanbeingsarealsoanimals,tomanageonemillionanimalsgivesmeaheadache.andquot;

Thefallingcostsandgrowingsophisticationofrobotshaverenewedadebateoverhowquicklyjobswillbelost.Thisyear,ErikBrynjolfssonandAndrewMcAfee,economistsattheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,madethecaseforarapidtransformation. andquot; Thepaceandscaleofthisencroachmentintohumanskillsisrelativelyrecentandhasprofoundeconomicimplications, andquot; theywroteintheirbook, andquot; RaceAgainsttheMachine.andquot;

Intheirminds,theadventoflow-costautomationforetellschangesonthescaleoftherevolutioninagriculturaltechnologyoverthelastcentury,whenfarmingemploymentintheUnitedStatesfellfrom40percentoftheworkforcetoabout2percent.

ButBranFerren, aveteranroboticistandindustrialproductdesigneratAppliedMindsinGlendale, कैलिफोर्निया, arguesthattherearestillsteepobstacles. andquot; Ihadanearlynaiveteaboutuniversalrobotsthatcouldjustdoanything, andquot; उन्होंने कहा। andquot; Youhavetohavepeoplearoundanyway.Andpeopleareprettygoodatfiguringout,howdoIwiggletheradiatorinorslipthehoseon? Andthesethingsarestillhardforrobotstodo.andquot;

Beyondthetechnicalchallengesliesresistancefromunionizedworkersandcommunitiesworriedaboutjobs.EventhoughrisinglaborandtransportationcostsinAsiaandfearsofintellectualpropertytheftarenowbringingsomeworkbacktotheWest,theascensionofrobotsmaymeanfewerjobswillbecreated.

AttheFlextronicssolarpanelfactoryinMilpitas, southofSanFrancisco, abannerproclaims, andquot; BringingJobsandamp; ManufacturingBacktoCalifornia! andquot; Yetintheplant, therearerobotseverywhereandfewhumanworkers. Alloftheheavyliftingandalmostallofthepreciseworkisdonebyrobots.Thehumanworkerstrimexcessmaterial,threadwiresandscrewinahandfuloffasteners.

Suchadvancesinmanufacturingarealsotransformingothersectorsthatemploymillionsofworkers.Oneisdistribution,whererobotsthatzoomatthespeedoftheworldand#39;sfastestsprinterscanstore,retrieveandpackgoodsforshipmentfarmoreefficientlythanpeople.

Rapidimprovementinvisionandtouchtechnologiesisputtingawidearrayofmanualjobswithintheabilitiesofrobots.Forexample,Boeingand#39;swide-bodycommercialjetsarenowrivetedautomaticallybygiantmachinesthatmoverapidlyandpreciselyovertheskinoftheplanes.

AndatEarthboundFarmsinCalifornia, fournewlyinstalledrobotarmswithcustomizedsuctioncupsswiftlyplaceclamshellcontainersoforganiclettuceintoshippingboxes. EachrobotreplacestwotofiveworkersatEarthbound.

Aरोबोटदौड़लेता हैआकृति

AtanautomationtradeshowlastyearinChicago,RonPotter,thedirectorofroboticstechnologyatanAtlantaconsultingfirmcalledFactoryAutomationSystems,offeredanexampleofaroboticmanufacturingsystemthatinitiallycost$250,000andreplacedtwomachineoperators,eachearning$50,000ayear. Overthe15-yearlifeofthesystem, themachinesyielded$ 3 .5millioninlaborandproductivitysavings.

GovernmentofficialsandindustryexecutivesintheUnitedStatesarguethateveniffactoriesareautomated, theystillareavaluablesourceofjobs. IftheUnitedStatesdoesnotcompeteforadvancedmanufacturinginindustrieslikeconsumerelectronics, itcouldloseproductengineeringanddesignaswell. इसके अलावा, eventhoughblue-collarjobswillbelost, moreefficientmanufacturingwillcreateskilledjobsindesigning, operatingandservicingtheassemblylines.

Androbotmakerssaytheirindustryitselfcreatesjobs.AreportcommissionedbytheInternationalFederationofRoboticslastyearfoundthat150,000peoplearealreadyemployedbyroboticsmanufacturersworldwide.

ButAmericanandEuropeandominanceinthenextgenerationofmanufacturingisuncertain. andquot; WhatIseeisthattheChinesearegoingtoapplyrobots, बहुत, andquot, saidFransvanHouten, Philipsand #39; schiefexecutive. andquot; Thewindowofopportunitytobringmanufacturingbackisbeforethathappens.andquot;

Aतेजी सेविधानसभारेखा

AtTeslaMotorsinFremont, कैलिफोर्निया, ontheedgeofSiliconValley, asmanyaseightrobotsperformaballetaroundeachvehicleasitstopsateachstationalongtheproductionlineforjustfiveminutes. Therobotarmsseemhumanwhentheyreachovertoastandandchangetheirandquot; handandquot; toperformadifferenttask. Whilethemanyrobotsinautofactoriestypicallyperformonlyonefunction, aTeslarobotmightdouptofour: वेल्डिंग, riveting, bondingandinstallingacomponent. Ultimatelyasmanyas83TeslaSelectricluxurysedansadaywillbeproducedatthefactory.Whenthecompanyaddsasportutilityvehiclenextyear,itwillbebuiltonthesameassemblyline,oncetherobotsarereprogrammed.

Teslaand #39; sfactoryistinybutrepresentsasignificantbetonflexiblerobots, onethatcouldbeamodelfortheindustry. Andothersarealreadythinkingbigger.

HyundaiandBeijingMotorsrecentlycompletedamammothfactoryoutsideBeijingthatcanproduceamillionvehiclesayearusingmorerobotsandfewerpeoplethanthebigfactoriesoftheircompetitorsandwiththesameflexibilityasTeslaand#39;s,saidPaulChau,anAmericanventurecapitalistatWIHarper.

Humansand #39;परिवर्तित करनाभूमिका

InthedecadesincehebeganworkingasawarehousemaninTolleson,Arizona,JoshGraveshasseenhowautomationsystemscanmakeworkeasierbutalsocreatenewstressandinsecurity.ThegiantfacilitywhereheworksdistributesdrygoodsforKrogersupermarkets.

Mr.Graves, 29, wenttoworkinthewarehouserightoutofhighschool. Thedemandingjobrequiredliftingheavyboxesandthehourswerelong.

TodayMr.Gravesdrivesasmallforklift-likemachine.Hewearsheadsetsandisinstructedbyacomputerizedvoiceonwheretogointhewarehousetogatherorstoreproducts.AcentralizedcomputertheworkerscallTheBraindictatestheirspeed.Managersknowexactlywhattheworkersdo,tothepreciseminute.

Becauseworkersaredoinglessphysicallabor,therearefewerinjuries,saidRomeAloise,aTeamstersvicepresidentinNorthernCalifornia.Becauseacomputersetsthepace,thestressisnowmorepsychological.

Severalyearsago,Mr.Gravesand#39;swarehouseinstalledaGermansystemthatautomaticallystoresandretrievescasesoffood.Thatledtotheeliminationof106jobs,or20percentoftheworkforce.

NowKrogerplanstobuildahighlyautomatedwarehouseinTolleson.

andquot; Wedonand #39; thaveaproblemwiththemachinescoming, andquot; Mr.Gravestoldcityofficials. andquot; ButtellKrogerwedonand#39;twanttolosethesejobsinourcity.andquot;

Somejobsarestillbeyondthereachofautomation:constructionjobsthatrequireworkerstomoveinunpredictablesettingsandperformdifferenttasksthatarenotrepetitive;assemblyworkthatrequirestactilefeedbacklikeplacingfiberglasspanelsinsideairplanes,boatsorcars;andassemblyjobswhereonlyalimitedquantityofproductsaremadeorwheretherearemanyversionsofeachproduct,requiringexpensivereprogrammingofrobots.

Butthatlistisgrowingshorter.

InanindustrialneighborhoodinPaloAlto, कैलिफोर्निया, arobotarmedwithelectronicandquot; eyesandquot; andasmallscoopandsuctioncupsrepeatedlypicksupboxesanddropsthemontoaconveyorbelt.

TherobotusesatechnologypioneeredinMicrosoftand #39; sKinectmotionsensingsystemforitsXboxvideogamesystem.

SuchrobotswillputautomationwithinrangeofcompanieslikeFederalExpressandUnitedParcelServicethatnowemploytensofthousandsofworkersdoingsuchtasks.

स् टूडियो-upbehindtherobot,IndustrialPerceptionInc.ofMenloPark,California, willwinitsfirstcontractifitsmachinecanmoveoneboxeveryfourseconds. Theengineersareconfidentthattherobotwillsoondomuchbetterthanthat, pickingupandsettingdownoneboxpersecond.

andquot; Weand #39; reonthecuspofcompletelychangingmanufacturinganddistribution, andquot, saidGaryBradski, amachine-visionscientistwhoisafounderofIndustrialPerception. andquot;Ithinkitand#39;snotassingularanevent,butitwillultimatelyhaveasbiganimpactastheInternet.andquot;