DailyDirt: Robots Are Stealing Our Jobs

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Robots are moving towards taking over more tasks that are boring and/or unpleasant for people to do. Some folks are concerned that robots will replace too many human jobs, but it'll take some time before robots are cheap enough to really replace a lot of people. Still, it really is just a matter of time before robot costs come down, so we'd better start preparing for the inevitable. Here are just a few robot projects that are trying to play nice with us.

• Baxter is a 6-foot tall, 300-lb robot that is easy to program, costs about $22,000, is designed to work safely next to humans by moving slowly and gently, and could help bring back manufacturing to countries with high standards of living. Unlike other manufacturing robots, Baxter doesn't have to be put in a protective cage and can self-adapt to small changes in its work environment. [url]
• The Last Moment Robot is designed to comfort dying hospital patients -- but it's just an art project for now and not an actual prototype for practical use. Other therapeutic robots have been used in nursing homes, but these comforting robots sound a bit more creepy than calming. At least they're trying, though. [url]
• Would you trust a three-armed robotic barber to shave your head? One guy had his head shaved for charity by a remote-controlled mechanical barber, and he lived to tell the tale. He also looked very nervous during the procedure. [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post.

Filed Under: automation, barber, baxter, manufacturing, robots, therapeutic robots