| The apparent controversy surrounding the viability of | | | | robots could drastically change the future. |
| robots in the work place seems to have the scent of | | | | Cost cutting comes at a Price |
| fear. But that makes sense. People fear change. Yet | | | | New developments always come with a price |
| change is inevitable. Perhaps the greater fear | | | | attached. In today's industrial arena an industrial robot |
| surrounding this sometimes controversial subject is | | | | is a substantial investment. The cost of an average |
| centered more around the fear of poverty. People | | | | six- axis robot is around $60,000. The system to |
| do not readily take to the idea of their jobs being | | | | support it however is in the range of $200,000. So it |
| replaced by a machine- especially when it puts them | | | | may seem that human labor will not be replaced as |
| in the unemployment line. | | | | rapidly as some fear. There are technologies being |
| Should Change be Feared or Embraced? | | | | developed within the industry however, that make |
| Whether you are one who eagerly anticipates the | | | | the option more obtainable even to small businesses. |
| arrival of the newest technology or you are of the | | | | Perhaps soon they will be seen in people's homes as |
| opinion that "if it works- don't fix it"- change is | | | | well. |
| inevitable. For some however, the idea of industrial | | | | Weighing the Issues |
| robotics taking a prominent role in society is an ethical | | | | It would be a negative experience indeed if your job |
| and moral concern. Yet for others whose concern is | | | | ended one day and you found yourself being |
| production and sustainability, industrial robots are a | | | | replaced by a machine. Yet the whole conversation |
| god-send. | | | | reminds me of the debate from a couple of decades |
| What Does the Future Hold? | | | | ago, that was ongoing about the mom and pop |
| There are those who consider the "Terminator" | | | | stores being replaced by "big box" stores that are so |
| totalitarianism concept of a robotic future as a threat | | | | common today. It seems as one thing transitions to |
| to humanity. At first thought this might seem | | | | the next that there are always new jobs and even |
| ludicrous yet with today's technology the potential | | | | industries that are created in the wake of change. |
| for such seems like a distinct possibility. Robots aren't | | | | Perhaps in the light of industrial robots taking the |
| found only in factories and manufacturing plants any | | | | brunt of dangerous and unhealthy positions in the |
| more. Now they are seen in places such as food | | | | work place there is room for both machines and |
| service organizations and even hospitals as they | | | | people. And by the way, the position that is lost on |
| lighten the work load for their human counter parts. | | | | the production line to a robot is replaced by the one |
| It is easy to imagine how these programmable | | | | that is needed to program and maintain that robot. |