Will Sampson talks about new advances in robotic technology including an interview with Derek Degeest, president of Lesta USA, which is marketing self-learning robots to the finishing industry. This episode was recorded life at the AWFS Fair.
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Intro music courtesy of Anthony Monson.
The robots are here!
We’ve all grown up with the sci-fi trope of the evil robots bent on destruction of the human race. The Terminator movies with the Skynet army of malevolent machines determined to wipe out humanity is probably one of the first images we think of when we consider the dangers of robots. But there have been countless more examples in movies, books, cartoons, TV shows, and short stories. It’s no wonder when we think of adding robotics to our businesses, there’s some trepidation.
I’m conflicted. I love the craft of woodworking and admire beautifully designed and constructed work in wood. At the same time, I also admire efficiency in manufacturing and strive to help companies at all levels adopt practices and equipment that help them be more profitable and productive without sacrificing quality. Sometimes, that leads to robotic solutions.
So, are today’s robots our friends or our enemies?
To answer that question, first we need to consider what robots are. While many of those menacing robots of fiction are humanoid creations, very few real robots today look like humans. Most have some kind of articulated motion designed to do specific tasks. In woodworking those tasks most commonly include moving things such as loading and unloading machines, mostly in stationary locations, but also with gantries or even as part of self-driving vehicles or carts. More sophisticated processes such as sanding and finishing parts are now well within the purview of today’s woodworking robots.
At the recent AWFS Fair woodworking trade show, robots were all over and gathering crowds of people transfixed as they watched the robots work. It reminded me of the early days of CNC machines in woodworking where similar crowds huddled around the machines to watch them cut out parts. And I suspect those CNC crowds decades ago had some of the same questions the crowds around robots today have: How much does it cost? What’s involved in programming it? What can it really do? How does its productivity compare to human workers?
And probably the biggest question and to some people the most frightening question: How many workers can we replace with this machine?
But I’m not sure that last question is really the right question. The issue shouldn’t be about replacing existing workers so much as filling in for workers that can’t be found and freeing up existing staff to do things that even the most sophisticated robots still can’t do. The real question should be how can robots integrate into a manufacturing operation to maximize not only efficiency but also the opportunities for growth and even expansion to other markets?
A relatively new family of robots is actually designed to work safely and efficiently side-by-side with human workers. These so-called co-bots are intended to enhance human-centered production by automating processes that can be tedious or dangerous for humans alone. I’m reminded of the protective robot in the old “Lost in Space” television series who was constantly declaring, “Danger! Danger! Will Robinson!”
As robots become more sophisticated, more affordable, more capable, and easier to program, I’ll be excited to see the progress. Still, I’m not sure I can let go of those feelings of watching out for Skynet over my shoulder.
Before we get to our interview with Derek DeGeest, let’s pause for a word from our sponsor.