GM and NASA's robot assembly-line worker

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...0208-nmnh.html

GM and NASA's robot assembly-line worker

JEZ SPINKS
February 8, 2010

General Motors and NASA have teamed up to build a robot assembly-line worker.

They would never go on strike, take a pay cheque, or cost billions in pension funds.

A next-generation workforce of advanced, human-like robots is being co-developed by General Motors engineers and NASA scientists, to be employed on both vehicle-assembly lines and in space.

The United State's biggest car maker and national space agency have announced they are collaborating under a new Space Act Agreement to build a "faster, more dextrous and technologically advanced robot" called Robonaut 2 (or R2).

Car companies have long used large robotic arms to manufacture vehicles, but the humanoid R2 features pivotal joints, fingers and opposable thumbs that would allow it to use tools and perform intricate work.

GM and NASA say Robonaut 2 is not designed to replace human employees but to instead work safely alongside people either in space or on Earth.

"For GM, this is about safer cars and safer plants," says General Motors' vice president for global research and development, Alan Taub. "When it comes to future vehicles, the advancements in controls, sensors and vision technology can be used to develop advanced vehicle safety systems.

"The partnership's vision is to explore advanced robots working together in harmony with people, building better, higher-quality vehicles in a safer, more competitive manufacturing environment."

The Robonaut 2 announcement comes just days after US President Barack Obama effectively ended NASA's program to return humans to the moon by 2020 in a speech encouraging more private industry involvement in space flights.

GM and NASA's last notable partnership were the Apollo Moon missions of the '60s. GM helped develop the iconic Lunar Rover Vehicle astronauts used for transport on the moon's surface, as well as the navigation systems for the Apollo missions.

General Motors is not the first car maker to dabble with robots. Japanese brand Honda since 2000 has developed a humanoid robot called ASIMO, an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility.

[snappy]

huh goverment bail out large company so to many people dont get the sack , company takes money uses it to find a way to sack people . Good job Obama :

[cosmo20btt]

Government Motors want to be careful they don't sack the computer tech's or they might teach the robots how to weld Coke bottles into sills.

[|||]

he looks like he's whistling. a happy worker is a productive worker

[tjb45]

Can anyone say Skynet..

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by tjb45

Can anyone say Skynet..

Haha i was thinking this.
Does anyone know someone named John Connor? Might be time to get in touch with him.

[Falcman0o7]

Robotic welder gains A.I. and passes it on then starts welding bigger robots that other robots have designed, having gained much intelligence they then realise GM is rubbish and destroy the entire factory along with others positioned around the globe. They then seek and destroy every GM vehicle that is in site and locate and dispose the ones that are not. In a short time these machines take over the world, rid it of all things GM and keep building FORDS for THEMSELVES while we are contained in balls of jelly stored for future energy needs

[ozrunner]

but the humanoid R2

Typical GM, behind the times again as it's been done years ago.

Surely they've heard of R2D2

[Road_Warrior]

Oh I bet Jez Spinks had a boner when he wrote that, all that glowing praise for GM.

[XDV800]

What an absolute Waynk.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by vztrt

They would never go on strike, take a pay cheque, or cost billions in pension funds.

But have million dollar initial outlays and consume huge amounts of electricity.. it's not all one way.

jez and gm :

[Wretched]

Wow, they might actually build a quality car and on time with no hidden surprises.

[Wally]

They would never go on strike, take a pay cheque, or cost billions in pension funds

Well that depends on whether they join the UAW or not.... never say never.

[Bundy]

Originally Posted by snappy

huh goverment bail out large company so to many people dont get the sack , company takes money uses it to find a way to sack people . Good job Obama :

more like good job GM, fooled ya obama, :

fool me once, can fool me twice....oh dear sounds like where still on the same merry-go-round

[Ohio XB]

When GM cuts back on maintenance on the robots to save money, because the new robots seem to work just fine (because everything is new) then it will come back on them. They will reprogram the movements of the robots to make up for worn bearings/bushings. They will have sent critical repair parts back to the manufacturer (like replacement hands) because nobody used one in 2 years. That saves on having to pay taxes every year on expensive inventory. Then when there is a serious break down they will have to shut the line down while a hand is sent in via helicopter ($$$$$) in order to get the line back up and running as soon as possible.


That's how it usually goes, in the name of saving money.

Steve

[AndrewR_AUII]

Originally Posted by snappy

huh goverment bail out large company so to many people dont get the sack , company takes money uses it to find a way to sack people . Good job Obama :

The logic is indeniable