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29-12-2013, 01:22 PM
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Supermarket Robots

Well we discussed this only the other week - where robots will be used more and more in situations and work places. Well it looks like the supermarkets will be using them in various ways soon - and probably a load of other companies too I bet. More unemployment as other employers see the benefits alied to low cost. Does make me think where this will all end up. I mean more people requiring more jobs etc yet being replaced by passive robots throughout the current work places, what then will be the new industries of the future for workers?



Originally Posted by BBC News
The sound of "please put your item in the bagging area" has often provided irritation to a number of supermarket customers when using computerised check-outs but a new innovation could mean a more personalised service from a robot.

BBC Click's Ian Hardy meets the robot engineered to look after you and your shopping at the check-out.
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29-12-2013, 01:49 PM
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Re: Supermarket Robots

What is going on here and why are they pursuing it. The only time I agreed with this process was in surgery circumstances and I would guess there are other possibilities. But, why go on and on - the future looks bleak !!
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29-12-2013, 03:41 PM
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Re: Supermarket Robots

Doesn't matter if it irritates customers or annoys them, this is the way it's going to be so they can lump it, todays customers are tomorrows corpses and the new generation are all that matters to business, so get used to it folks, that's the way of the world, capitalism always wins, I can just hear them singing, Happy days are here again da la la la.
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29-12-2013, 03:47 PM
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Re: Supermarket Robots

I too worry Mark what will be the industries that will pay people so that they can line the pockets of capitalists - it could well be that capitalism is actually bringing about its own demise by going down this route. No buyers = no profits which is what is causing our current problems.
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30-12-2013, 11:10 AM
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Re: Supermarket Robots

Might be a good thing unless they program muslim robots who refuse to serve us Drink
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30-12-2013, 11:22 AM
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Re: Supermarket Robots

Originally Posted by ben-varrey ->
I too worry Mark what will be the industries that will pay people so that they can line the pockets of capitalists - it could well be that capitalism is actually bringing about its own demise by going down this route. No buyers = no profits which is what is causing our current problems.
They will have to realise in time as their businesses dry up that unless they pay people wages they will have very few customers.
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31-12-2013, 01:46 PM
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Re: Supermarket Robots

The same was said when the industrial age hit. Power looms replaced handcrafted textiles and put many crafters out of business--but it also opened jobs for people to work the factories. It increased production, which increased trade. Robotics are computerized, which means they will go down a lot (especially if they are Microsoft based). People just need to shift their training and education. I doubt many stores will make these a permanent fixture since they will be expensive to buy and expensive to maintain--and from the looks of the video, those things are too clumsy and cannot distinguish objects and have bad aim. Half the time, self-checkouts here are off forcing people to go through the human cashier line, and the hand computers used by managers are never replaced when one breaks down. Most of the time, all the stores I use are void of employees and have a lot of empty shelves. If companies will not pay a human minimum wage to stock the shelves or work the store, I cannot see them forking out big bucks for a million dollar machine that will need constant baby sitting.
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31-12-2013, 03:33 PM
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Re: Supermarket Robots

Originally Posted by Rene61 ->
The same was said when the industrial age hit. Power looms replaced handcrafted textiles and put many crafters out of business--but it also opened jobs for people to work the factories. It increased production, which increased trade. Robotics are computerized, which means they will go down a lot (especially if they are Microsoft based). People just need to shift their training and education. I doubt many stores will make these a permanent fixture since they will be expensive to buy and expensive to maintain--and from the looks of the video, those things are too clumsy and cannot distinguish objects and have bad aim. Half the time, self-checkouts here are off forcing people to go through the human cashier line, and the hand computers used by managers are never replaced when one breaks down. Most of the time, all the stores I use are void of employees and have a lot of empty shelves. If companies will not pay a human minimum wage to stock the shelves or work the store, I cannot see them forking out big bucks for a million dollar machine that will need constant baby sitting.
Well it seems that robot costs are dropping fast so it is feasible that they could well replace a human being in very tedious or repetitive jobs that don't require a great deal of thought or movement and I for one welcome this. Having sampled quite a range of occupations some jobs are just not fit for people to do if you ask me.

Anyone spent time on a production line fitting some stupid thing to another stupid thing over and over? This kind of work is more or less torture if you ask me but is being done on a huge scale by many. Thankfully I never got myself in a situation where I had to hold on to any job I didn't like or want but many are not so lucky. If robots remove these deplorable jobs from the workplace then great and the sooner the better surely.
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31-12-2013, 03:44 PM
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Re: Supermarket Robots

I used to love working in a factory, would leap at the chance again, detailed work that produced something, working at speed to keep up production and mostly laughing our socks off all day long. Loved every minute.

Now office work pushing one piece of paper around the office would destroy my soul, or anything where I can produce or make something better would too. Cleaning is great because I can see the difference I make each day.
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31-12-2013, 03:55 PM
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Re: Supermarket Robots

Originally Posted by Julie1962 ->
Cleaning is great because I can see the difference I make each day.
I have done my fair share of cleaning and I did get plenty of satisfaction from a job well done. My father taught me that if you are going to do a job then do it to the best of your ability and I have always adhered to that whatever the job was. Cleaning floors / buildings when I worked as a lifeguard, car valeting to cleaning buses at night to supplement my earnings when running a computer shop I quite enjoyed them all. Cleaning stuff is a pretty good way to earn a living as long as you get a proper wage for doing it.
 
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