Working from home… in blue collar jobs
An interesting article in Wired, “Now physical jobs are going remote too”, looks at how a growing range of traditionally physical jobs, such as driving a forklift, can now be carried out from anywhere via a computer.
In the case discussed in the article, a forklift operator working for Phantom Auto remotely loads a truck with pallets and moves containers around a warehouse he has never set foot in, using a program with a steering wheel and pedals similar to those used in many video games, while his monitor provides 360 degree camera shots of the the vehicle.
To all intents and purposes, the forklift appears to be driving itself and relies on obstacle detection and collision avoidance algorithms to move around the warehouse. However, when it comes to carrying out certain operations, the company says that sometimes the complexity of the environment means full autonomy is to dangerous, so it makes sense to have human operators in charge, even if they are not physically present, in case the internet connection is lost.
In other situations, it’s also possible to operate three-dimensional robotic arms remotely, or supervise automated operations when the machine hesitates in a certain situation and has to make a choice, and which can be made by operators who can be located anywhere, simply observing events until the moment when their…
