iRobot CTO steps down -- ironically, looks to "rehumanize" US manufacturing with robots
"Heartland Robotics is combining the power of computers - embodied in robots - and the extraordinary intelligence of the American workforce, to rehumanize and revitalize manufacturing."By "rehumanize" we assume they mean replace the American manufacturing workforce with robots. Come on Brooks, grow a pair of Ayn Rands and just say what you mean.
[Via Maximizing Progress]
Filed under: Robots
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Steve @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:19AM
Still no Google Chrome story? Why the hate, Engadget?
giuliop @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:48AM
It's too late now. I can't imagine them writing a story at this point without being laughed at.
eric @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:55AM
Achy feet?
Top searched comfortable shoes.
Oinquer @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:55PM
was wondering why is that...
avester @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:34AM
Google Chrome : A browser that has exciting new features, like...
Nothing?
Ryan Trevisol @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:28AM
http://www.switched.com/2008/09/02/google-launches-chrome-a-new-web-browser/
Uhm, anyone remember the sister site which deals with internet trends?
It's kind of lame, I know, but it's not as bad as reading Roseann Barr's blog.
BigRedFed @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:42AM
The exiting part of Google Chrome isn't the features of the browser, but it's architecture. Features will come and they won't cause the whole browser to be dogged down or crash without some real creative effort on the programmers.
Wwhat @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:34AM
chrome is just a sneaky way to get the goddamn apple browser on your system, stop pushing so hard steve, geez.
And a way to check how many suckers never read an EULA (= the number of downloads).
OneLove @ Sep 3rd 2008 11:40AM
Why didn't they release a mobile version?
John @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:24PM
There's no mobile version because the Android people were already making their own browser.
az1324 @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:24AM
"the extraordinary intelligence of the American workforce"
read: unwilling to do manual labor but capable of turning a few robots on and off
Wwhat @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:36AM
Intelligence in the average american, yeah ok, that's not funny, that's just mean :)
loosely_coupled @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:27PM
"the extraordinary intelligence of the American workforce"
Seriously, is that a joke?
Shawn @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:23AM
Dear Engadget:
The firm I'm working for is currently employed by Heartland Robotics and the departure of Brooks is old news to us. I can assure you that their goal is to augment workers with cheap robots to help cut costs of domestic labor. The key is the "cheap" part. They can do this by using human intelligence to run the robots instead of creating full assembly line robotics. They wish to bring manufacturing back to the mainland.
Now, what stops China from copying the business model is beyond me...
erislover @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:05AM
Electricity throughout most of the country?
Yoni @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:41AM
This is really the only correct action to take as far as the US manufacturing sector is concerned. The overwhelming trend in manufacturing has been to move factories which use menial labor to poor countries to take advantage of lower wages. But what happens when robots can perform menial labor more cost effectively than any human, no matter how low the wage?
When this happens, when robots can provide cheap shoes at less cost, the rich countries will have little use for child cobblers in Bangladesh. Developed countries may see a resurgence in robotic manufacturing.
The problem is that these systems will also eliminate certain types of jobs in massive numbers. As in the past, we may see a seismic shift in the American workforce, with numbers of higher paid jobs for robotics programmers and technicians replacing low wage manufacturing of today.
MadMike @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:18AM
No, you'll see more lower paid robotic programmers. There is always some shmuck that says, "Sure I'll take he $15/hr job even though I should be paid $65/hr." And then, the damage is done.
Timothy Sottek @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:08AM
Yet another plebeian who doesn't understand the actual benefits mutual advantage or market efficiency.
Wwhat @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:39AM
I think the mutuality myth has been busted, for more information see: the current american economy.
MadMike @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:16AM
That graphic is truly clutch. And at 4:04am no less.
Why is everyone ragging on Engadget about Chrome? They'll write about it when it comes out for Mac OS X. ;-)
Wwhat @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:40AM
Since chrome = safari engine I'm guessing steve asked to keep a low profile to not make that too obvious.
phanbouy @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:11PM
@Wwhat?
Ha, really? That's gonna give haters some cognitive dissonance ;p
Wwhat @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:32PM
hehe, nicely put
Shane @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:50AM
It took a few seconds for my brain to process that graphic at this time of the morning...
Justice @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:45AM
Wow - I never thought of the PR aspects of this until I read some of the comments. Unions either not allow the roboticization of manual labor, or they would cut a deal like the Merchant Marines Union did - but if you move the jobs outside of the country first, and then move them back into roboticized factories - no unions to protest, and shareholder "America First" sentiment to drive your stock up - yeah, that works perfectly. Especially if it provides jobs for programmers whose jobs have been outsourced, who would love to move to an area with 1/2 the cost of living of, say, San Francisco or DC.
Seriously though - I understand what they mean by humanizing the workforce - it means getting rid of all jobs that don't need humans - such as fixing parts that don't pass quality control. There will always be a place for humans in the workforce - both for the "human touch" as waiters, hairdressers, etc. and for creativity. The real question is - can everyone be creative, and does our current trend of pushing standardized tests as the only way to measure school's efficiency foster the creativity or "human touch" that the future workforce will need for the only jobs left available to them?
Wwhat @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:48AM
Jobs for programmers? are you joking? once your got an x-axis learn-by-example control program you don't need any programmers anymore, so basically that's 1 person working 1 week and he's done forever.
Plus that software has been developed many many years ago already.
Robots are a great thing, but only if you accept the industrial revolution and implement some what americans call 'socialism', ie if the superior robots work for the population then you can use their output to support the people without the people having to slave.
But of course america is not know for its ability to adapt their thinking, sorry to sound anti-american but you know it's just true in your heart.
alex @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:13PM
Am I the only one who chuckled at the Rand reference?!
Mustaine @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:37PM
*shrug*