Industrial robots.
Industrial Robots
Industrial Robots
There are few micro-electronic applications more likely to raise fears regarding future employment opportunities than robots for the very obvious reason that such machines directly replace human labour. The emotive nature of the subject inevitably gives rise to misapprehensions.
It is necessary first to define an industrial robot. Alternative definitions and classifications abound but basically a robot is a machine which moves, manipulates, joins or processes components in the same way as human hand or arm. It consists basically of three elements: the mechanical structure (including the artificial wrist and gripper), the power unit (hydraulic, pneumatic or, increasingly, electrical) and the control system (increasingly mini-computers and microprocessors). However, the essential characteristic of a robot is that it can be programmed. Thus many devices (often called robots) would be better termed 'numerically controlled arms', since they are mechanical arms controlled by rudimentary (non-computer) software and as such are not radically different to much existing automation equipment. There are reportedly about 20,000 of the latter in use in Japan, and perhaps several thousand in the United Kingdom. A robot, however, is here defined as a hybrid of mechanical, electrical and computing engineering.
Most robots in current use handle fairly straightforward tasks such as welding and spraying where the software programmes controlling the machines are not very complex. However, the newer machines, usually referred to as 'universal' but which are still under development, will be able to perform more complex assembly tasks (for example, carburettor assembly).
Table 1 gives some world-wide estimates of robot diffusion. The table is based on a number of different studies and must be treated with caution since there are problems of definition: some companies producing medium technology robots do not classify them as robots; and many large companies are known to have developed robots in-house, but there is little statistical information on them.
The distribution of robots according to applications is again very difficult to estimate, but figures released by the Unimate Company of America indicate that by June 1977 they had installed around 1600 machines world-wide. Of these, virtually 50 per cent were used for spot welding, about 11 per cent for die-casting and another 5 per cent for machine loading. Other surveys have suggested that a significant proportion of robots are used for coating, mainly for paint spraying.
What is clear from surveys to date is that the automobile and metal working and forming industries have been the biggest users of robots. Indeed, the relative decline of these industries in Britain is probably a significant cause of the relatively small use of robots in this country. With so little happening in Britain, and indeed only marginal penetration world-wide, it is difficult to generalize either upon current motives for investment in them or indeed the likely pattern of future applications; but obviously these are the matters that will determine the employment impact.
The reasons most commonly cited for the introduction of robots into the work place are:
There are few micro-electronic applications more likely to raise fears regarding future employment opportunities than robots for the very obvious reason that such machines directly replace human labour. The emotive nature of the subject inevitably gives rise to misapprehensions.
Most robots in current use handle fairly straightforward tasks such as welding and spraying where the software programmes controlling the machines are not very complex. However, the newer machines, usually referred to as 'universal' but which are still under development, will be able to perform more complex assembly tasks (for example, carburettor assembly).
Table 1 gives some world-wide estimates of robot diffusion. The table is based on a number of different studies and must be treated with caution since there are problems of definition: some companies producing medium technology robots do not classify them as robots; and many large companies are known to have developed robots in-house, but there is little statistical information on them.
The distribution of robots according to applications is again very difficult to estimate, but figures released by the Unimate Company of America indicate that by June 1977 they had installed around 1600 machines world-wide. Of these, virtually 50 per cent were used for spot welding, about 11 per cent for die-casting and another 5 per cent for machine loading. Other surveys have suggested that a significant proportion of robots are used for coating, mainly for paint spraying.
- improvement in productivity both in work-rate and quality of output;
- improvement of working conditions, most usually where health hazards are involved;
- improved flexibility of production systems;
- greater effective management for production control.
- high price;
- hardware and software problems;
- lack of knowledge, and perhaps even fear of robots;
- competition from alternative automation systems.
Actividad realizada para Seminario de Lenguas 2023 Daniela de los Reyes. Martín Guerra. Claudia Lojo.
Activity 1
What is this text about?
Activity 2. Look for evidence in the text.
1. Where have robots been used the most? 2. What are its benefits and drawbacks? 3. Which is the essential characteristic of a robot? 4. What are the most commonly cited reasons for the introduction of robots in the workplace?
True of false
There are many microelectronic applications that are more likely to raise fears about future employment opportunities than robots.
Robots improve productivity both in the pace of work and in the quality of production
Most robots today are used for manufacturing work in supermarkets and stores.
Robots can be programmed.
Activity 3
Find in the paragraph indicated with each number a synonym or antonym of: paragraph 1 macroelectronics paragraph 2 appliance paragraph 5 uninstalled paragraph 6 unemployment paragraph 7 unproductive
Activity 4
In the teaching role, have robots benefited or harmed the development of the work? Do you think that teachers will be replaced by machines in the future?