We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
IT’S ONLY BEEN two days since Amazon showed off its prime air drone, but if it ever sees the light of day, it could be overshadowed by another type of robot.
Google has bought seven companies over the last six months to help it build the next generation of robots. It’s expected that Google will market these robots towards manufacturing although it’s possible that they will also be used for retail.
The project is currently being headed by Andy Rubin, the person who built the company’s Android software. Rubin stepped down as head of the company’s smartphone division earlier this year to focus on the project and told the New York Times that there was a lot of potential in the field.
I feel with robotics it’s a green field… We’re building hardware, we’re building software. We’re building systems, so one team will be able to understand the whole stack.
Among the companies bought are Schaft, a small team from Japan that left Tokyo University to develop a humanoid robot, and Industrial Perception, a US based startup that has developed computer vision systems and robot arms for loading and unloading trucks.
Other companies like Bot & Dolly, a company that specialises in precise motion robotics and film-making – which was used in the film ‘Gravity’ – and Holomni, a firm that makes high-tech wheels, were also acquired during the six month period.
Currently, there is no time frame for when the first batch of robots will be released, but Rubin said that the project would need “enough runway and a 10-year vision” for it to work.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Dem der robots took r jobs. They toook arre jobbbs.
They Took Our Jobs,
Dey Turk Er Jurbs,
Durkur Duur
1 human being are you the living man? +1 for south park quote…. hazzzar!
i for one welcome our new robotic overlords.
Best stock up on some pellet guns.
“10 years to work” me bolix, go to youtube and search for video “Mercedes factory”
The lords of Global manufacturing commerce want to eradicate humanity from production lines. Mechanized factory floors cost industry a fraction of what assembly and other tasks that humans carry out currently cost.
Robots don’t get sick/hungover/shit days/ up de duff/gonorrhea or the clap. They don’t look for pay rises, don’t strike, don’t stir shit, don’t commit sexual misgivings whilst working. Pay for themselves in 1 year. Wage bills cut by 60%. We’re being slowly erradicaacted from the work place. Corporations rejoyce, humanity’s despair.
Somebody has to buy the sh1t they make. Their will always be something for humans to do.
Good point, but rich robots will end up buying it.
Sounds like a news headline from the year 2053
Skynet, robocop.
This is a tad worrying.
Robots build robots no jobs for humans.
Why are we creating things to take away jobs when we need to create jobs?
People will build the robots, maintain the robots, manufacture parts for the robots, clean the robots, programme them etc.
Also the word job may need some redefining in the coming few decades. If 90 % of jobs can be mechanised via current technology then we just need to change society so people can remain productive with only a minimal working week.
1 person can maintain score of these amazon delivery things. Think of how many people would be forced out of a job. Amazon say they can cover 86% of there deliveries with those things
Robots out!
Even when it was the bears, I knew it was the immigants.
No you’re wrong, robots will build the robots.
In an ideal world, the working week would be similar to that of George Jetson, in which working a two hour day would be excessive. Unfortunately, instead we seem to be moving into a world of George Jetson job security instead :/
Robots will build them, they’ll all have WiFi and Bluetooth, windows 20.1 will update them, debug and fix them. They’ll all be self cleaning like some ovens. Bets are off humans might only belt the living ai white out of them.
You know what was disturbing about that Amazon documentary last week? Not the hard work. That’s nothing to going down a mineshaft for 14 hours a day. No, it was that it was a computer giving orders to humans. That’s contrary to what passes for the natural order of things.
We’ve all been assuming that computers will take over the menial jobs. Instead, they’re taking over the lower rungs of management. Cos it’s cheaper to pay a moist carbon-based robot to pick things off the shelf than it is to run a silicon-based one.
3D printers will build them!
Moist carbon-based robots… sounds unhygienic and kinda icky.
The automated future…bad news for the vast majority of the human race as predicted by Karl Marx many moons ago. U think the people in charge are gonna pay the way of all the unemployed….the hell they will
I’m
Getting off this
And going to watch
I-ROBOT
Mi nme iz tick tuck, I trvel mani miles frm afrcan hut 2 get intronet 2 c ur article, I sel all my fmily bred 2 by computre to watch ur website, such funny, many wows, sorri for my bad englando, I speak onli Africaneseo, pls no copi and pasterino donnerino
I know skynet made the terminator, but what was the company that made robocop. I’d look it up but couldn’t be ar$ed! :-)
Omni Consumer Products. I preferred ED 209 just for the growl…
My Dad used to spray new cars- until those pesky robots arrived!
Where is John Connor when you need him??
The battle of the 666′s has begun. Unless governments around the world draw in a courageous deep breath and take back control it’s game over for the human race in a couple of generations. Our grand-children will be slaves to the rich and their robots.
have your say