The main problem with current robotics is, that it's unclear which kind of technology is available today and which has to be developed soon. The naive assumption is, that car companies have installed a lot of robots in their factories which helps the employees to become more productive. This story is wrong. Instead what the companies are using are old school automation technology developed in the 1970s before the advent of computing. That are servo driven assembly lines, CNC machines and barcode readers. The most interesting device is a CNC machine, which can be used for drilling and welding.
Modern factories have increased their productivity and reduced their costs mainly because of these CNC machines. They allow to reduce the human work to a minimum. The interesting point is, that apart from CNC no further technology is used in the production line. Also in the service industry no other technology is available. All the work which can't be done with CNC machines and assembly lines is done manual by human workers during the day shift and night shift.
The interesting question is what is the role of modern robotics in the economy? The surprising answer is, that not a single robot is used today. A robot is a device which is equipped with lots of computational power and gets programmed in a high level programming language. Also a robot has to do with artificial intelligence and the fifth generation computer revolution. Some robots for industrial purpose were developed in the past for example the Helpmate in the 1990s and the Baxter robot in the 2010. But these robots are not used in reality. They are research projects without practical applications.
But if robots are not used in the service industry and in the factories, how have the companies automated the production line? They haven't. The companies have freezed the technology on the level of the 1970s and computers aren't used. It's not because the factories are against modern technology, but the problem is, that all attempts in using robots for automation have failed. The fallback mode was to use the well known CNC machines from the 1970s. That is the most advanced machine which can be utilized today for industrial purpose.
By definition, a CNC is a lowtech machine. It is working by predefined motion, very similar what a sewing machine is doing.Such a device is not a robot, and it can't be programmed with a program flow. It has no artificial intelligence at all and planning algorithms are not needed. The result is, that CNC machines can used for limited purposes. If the task is a bit more complicated and has to do with sensor readings the CNC machine can't be utilized but the task is handled by human workers. This kind of workmode is the best practice method. It's used by all industrial companies and it's not possible to improve it. The combination of human workers for complex problems plus CNC machine for repetitive tasks ensures the lowest possible costs.
This description sounds a bit sobering because the robot isn't introduced and it's not planned in doing so. But this is the reality. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence is a subject for universities but not for practical application. And it won't in the future. THe problem is, that the advantages of modern compute technology, AI algorithm and vision systems can't be utilized for practical applications. It's wishful thinking to imagine, that robots can reduce the costs in a factory.
Somebody may asks who to introduce robots into the factory. The answer is, that it's not possible. If somebody is interested in Artificial Intelligence he has to do the experiments without practical applications. It's impossible, that a robot will provide added value for a real company who has real customers.
It's interesting to walk through factories which have the highest amount of automation. They are using many CNC machines at the same time which are connected with automated assembly lines. No human worker is needed during normal operation, everything runs by it's own. The funny fact is, that even such companies doesn't use robotics. All the technology comes from the 1970s and no computer nor algorithms are needed. Instead it's normal engineering in which the factory has a clear layout. Another interesting information is, that the absence of robots in a factory isn't a mistake nor a decision which will be corrected in the future, but it's a best practice method if the aim is to reduce the costs. The disappointing conclusion is, that everything what was developed in the last 50 years under the name of robotics was a waste of time. It can't be utilized for practical application and the researchers have developed the wrong technology. So do have modern factories a demand for Robots? No they don't. They are completely satisfied with the well known CNC technology. What they plan to buy in the next 10 years is more of these 1970s technology. But for sure, they won't utilize robots in the production line.
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