Equivalent-Ice-7274 t1_j4wgdwf wrote
Impressive, but in reality, it's a $5M toolbag fetcher that requires a team of engineers and programmers (who earn $1M+ a year each) weeks to plan and execute this stunt. It seems like we are a long way off from robots replacing many construction jobs.
seamustheseagull t1_j4wn2lc wrote
Or...the toolbag fetch is an attempt to soften the marketing on this.
Show a video where an honest real workin' man is hitting nails with a hammer, and a robot buddy fetching him stuff = hey that's real cute and cuddly.
Show a video where the robot puts together a perfect 15 foot long stud wall in 5 minutes using the saw blade and nail gun attachments on their arms = oh fuck, my job is over, I might have to take to the streets here.
I agree that a lot of this is likely pre-programmed in, and this is really just showing off the speed and agility more than their actual usefulness. But they could have programmed it to be a construction worker, and instead they deliberately programmed it to be the 16 year old kid who fetches lunch and tools.
Average64 t1_j4wwmeq wrote
You need to think bigger. A construction won't be made by a single robot. You'll have several, each serving a role. One will fetch the tools for those who work.
Motor_Ad_473 t1_j4xb753 wrote
The robot wouldn’t forget the tools to begin with lol
TheGlumSinger t1_j4yg2a2 wrote
The tools will be part of the robot like R2D2.
Affectionate-Memory4 t1_j4ysh2e wrote
But, a robot may not be able to carry all the tools it needs at once either. In that case having either a tool-changer station or something that can come over and swap them out where the robot is becomes useful.
Dickenmouf t1_j4xw70t wrote
And they wont need to sleep, take lunch breaks, take sick days, ask for raises, unionize or need healthcare. They’ll just work on whatever project they’re given until completion.
Moses_Horwitz t1_j4yl7at wrote
>And they wont need to sleep, take lunch breaks, take sick days, ask for raises, unionize or need healthcare.
And they won't need portapottys.
Average64 t1_j4z7ipm wrote
But they will need to charge or be given maintenance. They will need an on site engineer to perform maintenance and another one to oversee them.
They would be good for large constructions, where each floor follows the same pattern, and for houses.
They would also be very good as as factory/amazon workers.
Redditing-Dutchman t1_j4xbe7h wrote
It's pretty funny how the appearance of the robot has impact on if people are afraid or not.
A lot of construction is already automated in factory halls. Walls roll from the factory floor with isolation, cladding and windows already on it. Putting rows on bricks on prefab elements is being automated for a long time already. But nobody really cares about that.
Lesdeth t1_j4y3qxn wrote
Because those factories can't get up and murder people.
Ulyks t1_j54pxys wrote
Oh they murder people all the time :
"Worker at Volkswagen plant killed in robot accident": https://www.ft.com/content/0c8034a6-200f-11e5-aa5a-398b2169cf79
https://www.thecallahanlawfirm.com/videos/workers-death-by-robot-elicits-proposed-7000-fine/
But you're right, they can't get up and go on a killing spree.
seamustheseagull t1_j4zwfsy wrote
Sure. But somebody still has to put the prefab stuff in place, account for errors and misalignments, to build changes that haven't been done in the prefab stage.
People care about automation often only when it affects them. Factory workers being automated out, happened 50 years ago in reality, and there was a lot of noise at the time.
But work which has always required people onsite, using intelligence - doing work which couldn't fit a strict template - is a new departure for automation that's going to cause a lot of concern for the people in that work now.
MyboneNyourmoan21 t1_j4xpg88 wrote
What’s your job title if you don’t mind me asking
Food_Library333 t1_j4xtsnw wrote
Yeah but at least it isn't high on the job site!
HugeHans t1_j4ztogr wrote
Some dude from a less developed region might see the tools other construction workers use and think. Gee my job is over. This is just another tool. There will still be jobs. Just like we survived nearly everyone being a farmer just a while back to only a small percentage working in that field. Pun intended.
xhosos t1_j5070pj wrote
But how will we train carpenters if a robot is doing all the grunt work? And if someone thinks an architect can instruct a robot how to build, then they don’t anything about either architects or carpenters.
seamustheseagull t1_j50c87o wrote
It's all software under the hood, they'll figure it out.
Architect draws out the plans on the software, which automatically deconstructs it into a project plan and various individual components which the robots already know how to build.
Then you set them loose and they just build it. "Them" being an army of machines each with their own specialisation.
It will change architecture as much as it will change for architecture. The software will have a menu of different features to insert into the drawing - features which the machines know how to build. Features outside of this will be flagged on the drawing as requiring manual intervention to complete.
Because these manual interventions will slow down the build and will require checking before the machines can come back in, this will influence the decision-making process. Over time, as the software evolves, architects will have more freedom to make embellishments that the machines can figure out on their own. But for a period of time, there'll be a churn of somewhat samey buildings all (over)using the same templates. In some cases you'll have buildings which are architecturally odd or spatially inefficient, but faster and cheaper to build.
Your question about carpenters is kind of moot. How do we train welders if robots are doing all the grunt work?
The answer is that there will virtually always be a requirement for specialist, artisan or one-off pieces. No small contractor is going roll up in their van with a Boston robot to install a TV cabinet or put together your IKEA furniture.
But they might have one that they use to build walls or help them put in a kitchen.
xhosos t1_j50rqzh wrote
You could be right but it will require architects to get much better. Presently, they tend to load up a drawing set with a bunch of standard details that nobody looks at (that maybe a robot could perform) but when some unusual detail is required, they say “determine in the field.” That’s where the experienced craftsman comes in who can account for things like actual material dimensions, elements not plumb, angles not true, errors by other trades, etc. This is especially true when working in an existing building. Either the architect will have to take all of that into consideration during design (they don’t now), or the robot will have to do it. That’s a long way off.
Credentials- 10 years as construction manager for a contractor, 15 years at an architectural and engineering firm, 15 years as an owner’s representative.
XavierRenegadeAngel_ t1_j51m727 wrote
The complexity of movement is the real feat here... The actual operating software will come.
o-Valar-Morghulis-o t1_j4wzdwo wrote
Yeup. There's a whole legion of labor that hate their jobs but refuse to educate or train themselves to continue to be relevant as jobs evolve. They don't need any real reasons to curmudgeon the shit out of new technology, science, etc.
Motor_Ad_473 t1_j4xbd8g wrote
> but refuse to educate or train themselves to continue to be relevant as jobs evolve
Just learn to code lol ^/s
Moses_Horwitz t1_j4ylc7i wrote
And write video games.
throw1274637374 t1_j4wzpjg wrote
There are also people who like their jobs and dont want to educate or retrain themselves. Lots of people like working in construction.
CaptainCAPSLOCKED t1_j4yaqt0 wrote
Lawyers and doctors will be made redundant way before construction workers. And I can't wait to tell them to just educate theirselves.
zuggles t1_j4wgr55 wrote
ding ding. pre planning and scripted execution-- ie nearly useless.
might be useful for space applications.
OmegaXesis t1_j4wikx7 wrote
I can see them being used to setup a Martian colony prior to human deployment. But I want to say I have a feeling within a decade we’ll see them perform more autonomy and perform more practical tasks. Technology has been moving pretty quickly as of recently.
PedroEglasias t1_j4wpvdc wrote
Exactly, there's a general purpose AI that's been pretty big news lately and that's the kind of AI you need to control a general purpose robot
prematurely_bald t1_j4zdbt8 wrote
What exactly is “useless” about a bipedal robot that can execute a pre-programmed routine with near flawless precision?
Affectionate-Memory4 t1_j4ytwtb wrote
The real benefit is how quickly it can learn a new task. Atlas has tasks given to it and waypoints to reach. It does do some of the work itself. I agree though, not nearly as threatening as a fully AI controlled model, though we are headed down that path at full throttle already.
I could see these being useful in lots of situations where you need something like a human, but that you won't feel as bad about killing if things go poorly. Things like hazardous waste cleanup or future space missions where a human pilot just has to point a joystick and move their arms to grasp things via the robot are what I think of first.
LiCHtsLiCH t1_j4wso6e wrote
In reality, this is faster than a haptics system, like scary fast. Sorry by haptics I meant like a VR remote control where you get feedback from objects. Also this thing is basically on rails, this is more or less a preplanned route with solutions provided, however it still is RTS cross examining performance. And fast... scary fast. Throwing the tool bag was the most difficult part, and at 500lbs it didnt break the floor, this is progress.
DEEEPFREEZE t1_j4wt5jr wrote
As long as I don't see actual Terminators in my lifetime I'm good
remek t1_j4x45y2 wrote
Thats what they said about AI being able to generate novels.
thermalblac t1_j4xsdjz wrote
Long way off but inevitable. What cost a lot now will cost orders of magnitude less in time like cell phones, laser printers, lidar, satellite launches, DNA sequencing, etc.
ArsenalATthe t1_j51s6vg wrote
Construction works will be lost to 3d printing.
jbergens t1_j51srpc wrote
They may do other things soon.
OutOfBananaException t1_j547cn9 wrote
Salary data is available online, and it's nowhere near $1m. Maybe a small subset of critical staff, but even then not necessarily.
ToothlessGrandma t1_j4wl1ue wrote
5M? Oh honey.
This thing won't be anywhere nearly that at launch.
My guess is this will be less than the price of a car when it goes into full production. I know you're terrified at the thought of your job being replaced, but be reatlisitc.
[deleted] t1_j4z1vhr wrote
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