The Robot Revolution Will Steal Your Job
Mo McBirney explains the role of robotics in manufacturing and offers a glimpse into the future
The future of manufacturing is automation. At HDDG 26, Mo McBirney spoke on the subject of robotics in modern manufacturing, and the role they play in both efficiency and safety.
Mo McBirney is currently a manufacturing project manager at Fictiv. Before this, she was a manufacturing engineer on the battery team at Tesla. While many fear the loss of jobs due to automation, Mo is here to show us how we can collaborate with our robotic co-workers to create a brighter future.
The Benefits of Automation in Manufacturing
The primary motivations behind automation include a desire for more productivity and less human error. Robots can work in smaller spaces than humans and don’t require breaks or labor laws.
Robots can work all hours of the day and night. With higher productivity manufacturers can sell their products for lower prices and increase consumer demand as a result. Safety is also a significant concern for both workplace accidents and long-term ergonomic injuries.
As Mo explains in her presentation, repetitive processes can wear on the human body and cause injuries in the long-term. Delegating these types of tasks to machines allows humans to work on more complex tasks that aren’t as repetitive.
The Limitations of Current Technology
Current robotics technology is best utilized without humans in the picture for safety reasons. Collaborative solutions coming in the future can detect the presence of a human, but these robots tend to be significantly slower.
Modern manufacturing delegates repetitive and straightforward tasks to robot workers. Current limitations struggle with anything that requires complex movement, interaction with humans, or extreme dexterity.
To protect human workers, many safety measures are in place on the factory floor. Magnetic locks, emergency shutdowns, and the ability to detect a human presence are just some of the examples Mo uses in her presentation.
The Future of Robotics in Manufacturing
In the second half of her presentation, Mo McBirney offers a glimpse into the future of robotics. Specifically, there are major advances on the horizon for cognition, manipulation, and interaction. The overall goal is increased productivity as humans and robots work together.
In the realm of cognition, Mo showcases an example of how neural networks can scan, predict, and optimize the process for picking up complex objects or shapes. If it fails, it will learn how to do it correctly in the future.
Cloud collaboration is the key to maximizing a neural network. With multiple robots connected to a cloud network, any new processes or optimizations are shared between all the robots at once.
When new robots become part of the cloud, they immediately gain the same level of understanding as the other members of the network.
Should Humans Fear The Robot Revolution?
In the latter half of her presentation, Mo addresses the biggest question on everyone’s minds: will robots take our jobs? While robots are poised to take over a lot of tasks, these are repetitive and low-quality jobs that can cause long-term injuries to human workers.
Instead, she turns the focus towards job creation to show the positive side of automation. With the elimination of repetitive and simple tasks, more jobs will become available that cannot be automated.
These jobs will appear in new and exciting industries that are born from the rise of robotics. They will offer higher income and provide an improved quality of life. Jobs that require social skills, creativity, or nuanced skills will become more prevalent as a result.
There will be some growing pains. Ideally, workers will receieve the skills and training needed to transition into this new types of jobs. In the future, collaborative robots could also work alongside humans in new roles that are better suited to their skills.
Ultimately, humans should not be afraid of automation. Robots will take over jobs that are better suited to their skill sets. With the rise of new industries and the creation of jobs, humans will enjoy better career options that offer higher pay and better benefits.
How do you feel about automation in manufacturing? Let us know in the comments!
