Robot Workers Take Over Warehouses
November 10th, 2011Don’t miss the video.
Via: CNN:
A “startup kit” of robots would cost $1 million to $2 million, and a large warehouse operation with 1,000 robots costs $15 million to $20 million. Setting up the software and grid systems inside the warehouse requires six months of planning, simulated modeling and testing. Then logistics managers must be trained before handing them the keys to the operation.
The first few customers — including Staples– moved cautiously, setting aside a space the size of a basketball court for Kiva robots. Eventually, they moved to full-scale operations with hundreds of robots. “Like any technology, there were bugs, but we never had a crisis,” says Ralph of Staples, which has 1,000 robots working at two of its warehouses.
Today, Kiva Systems is profitable. Backed by $33 million from investors, the Boston company has 240 employees, a list of prominent customers and revenue of more than $100 million, according to Mountz. He says sales grew 130% last year, and that Kiva is hiring 20 to 30 people each quarter to keep up with demand.
Of course, the infiltration of robots translates to fewer new warehouse jobs.
Related:
AOL Launches New Unmanned ‘Lights Out’ Data Center
Some Ikea Warehouses Run 24 Hours Per Day, In the Dark, with the Work Being Done by Robots
i figure the people, as an abstract, will be relatively fine as long as ALL service work cant be replaced by vending machines, excluding Specifically live in servants and sex/food slaves. libertines tend to go thru consumables quickly.
by relatively fine i mean not hunted down by hunter killers and saucers and bigdog oh my.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qOQ3uFO8Mg#t=0m49s
shock and awe=paralyzed opposition