Agility Robotics has partnered with Ford to develop a delivery solution that includes a self-driving van with a robot in the back.
Some will mistakenly argue this will "cost jobs" but what it does is free workers to do other jobs and thus raise the general standard of living since it means robots do some old jobs and workers can work on other production. This is all about an overall increase in the production of goods and services.
This is hard for many to grasp but that is the nature of increases in productivity due to capital investments.
There is never a shortage of jobs. That would only happen if the warm body wage were zero--and we are very, very far from that.
-RW
There are some folks who read this blog who will see these robots as a threat, since they both take jobs from Americans and don't arrive here with a true understanding of liberty. We'll be told that if we are willing to let them in, then why don't we just move to Robotia?
ReplyDeleteThis is a silly dream. Can you imagine the liability when one of these machines damages somebody's property, or worse steps on someone, a child perhaps? What about when somebody tries to steal the machine? And we haven't even started talking about the car. There's a reason why robots are put inside cages in factories and all people are kept away from all the moving parts. They don't always work right and they don't care if you're in the way. How often does any computer not work exactly right? Hubris.
ReplyDeleteNotice that the low wage pickers and packers are white males with glasses but the educated and well-off are black.
ReplyDeleteIf they have robots making the deliveries then surely they would have robots also doing the picking and packing.
The robot seems puny. Will it hold a 40 pound box using the pincer method?
I hope they program it to knock on the door now that they've eliminated the toss at the door and run.
They'd need a lot of them since the fedex and ups drivers can hit 3 houses in the time that thing took to get to the front door.
Why is it ok to be poking holes in my lawn?
A bottle of bleach will take care of that thing.
Agree advances are great and not an actual threat perceived by so many, and I love tech and innovation. But man, this has a ways to go! As some have noted:
ReplyDelete1) It's a target for theft - the robot itself, unmanned means no one to stop theft of package.
2) Abounding terrain and obstacles issues
3) Environment - 20mph+ winds may easily tip this over. Rain - can it run to not get the package so wet? Snow & ice - slippery!
4) Inevitably, it'll tip over - what then?
5) Heavier, bulky, or poorly packaged boxes, non-standard objects/boxes - bags, etc.
I don't see it. Pipe dream.