Foxconn to deploy 10k robots on assembly lines to replace human
Comments made by Foxconn CEO Terry Gou indicate that, Apple manufacturer Foxconn may soon roll out robots on its assembly lines in order to replace human workers and cut down on manufacturing costs. The robots, which could potentially help construct Apple's rumored-to-be-upcoming iPhone 6, are in the final stages of testing and are set to be deployed in at least one Foxconn factory in the future.
As Neowin reported: The robot worker plan was first announced in 2011, and the 'Foxbots' are entering the final stages of testing -- which means that they could see deployment on Foxconn assembly lines very soon.
Each robot apparently costs upwards of $20,000 to create, but for a company which boasts a workforce of 1.23 million, assembly line robots could be very well worth the steep price tag. Foxconn is still in the midst of a long-term public relations crisis, after numerous allegations of employee mistreatment and multiple cases of employee suicide. Since robots don't feel emotion, Foxconn won't have to worry about providing basic human rights to the 1 million robotic workers it eventually plans to roll out.
The company still relies heavily on human production, though, as they were reported to have hired 100,000 additional workers ahead of the rumored iPhone 6 release. The robots could be deployed in time for production of the iPhone 6, but human workers would still handle the bulk of the work -- at least for the time being.
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Let the iRobot revolution begin??
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The cost of manufacturing in the US is significantly higher not just because of labor costs but taxes, environmental regulations, shipping infrastructure, etc.
If I want to build a manufacturing plant in China I just buy the land and build the thing. In the US I have to do a million dollar environmental assessment on how migration patterns of local wildlife will be effected, rain water run off control, pollution prevention, etc. And that's just to start -- now that you're building it you run into all kind of interesting issues. Local population doesn't want a giant building in their area, it effects property value, petitions of the local government. Now you need to run an ad campaign about how it's bringing jobs and stuff to the area. You need an attorney involved. You need permits for everything. Working in an area with low income/minorities? Now the construction company you are hiring has to meet certain local requirements that inflate costs. 40% of their workforce/subcontracts have to be minorities or minority owned. Except in most cases that number is impossible meet given local union labor, so you need to hire minorities that aren't skilled in the particular field to just stand around so you can meet that requirement. All these employees are union, get paid $60+ an hour with benefits. Operators/Dock Builders/Steel workers/etc all make more. Specialized welder? $120+ an hour.
To put it in perspective, the company my father works for did an assessment on a chemical manufacturing plant they were constructing. To build the plant in Newark, NJ would have cost $270M. To build it in China (which they ended up doing) was $90M.
And that was just the construction. Shipping the products globally was 37% cheaper out of China then it was out of the US. Labor costs/property tax/environmental maintenance -- everything was far cheaper.
Eric Schmidt, Ex-CEO of Google (Now on Board of Directors) talked about how US manufacturing would be superior due to increased quality control and turn around. And yet after only a year Google closed the Motorola manufacturing plant due to cost overhead. Moved all the jobs back overseas.
I mean I don't think the US should obviously undo everything it has with environment/labor and stuff like that. But from a business perspective it just makes no sense to manufacture stuff here. Taxes are way to high. Cost of construction is way to high. The back of the iPhone says "Designed in California" it was designed here because designing things is the only thing immune to all the extra costs incurred from being in the US.
I don't necessarily disagree but Red One have none of the issues you mentioned and produce their cameras in California.
With Apple and robotic production line mechanisms, you got a system which just needs technicians, not labour workers. I believe they are talking about a minuscule workforce, which could be American.
Nothing to do with labour at all, but (forgive the term) computer nerds watching over robots.
White collar, dudes and dudetes, just clicking buttons once in a while. And they could be in the states.
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This is good news from top to bottom. More productivity, with less people hating their jobs-wanting to die.
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Frees you from the work and in turn from a job.
It doesn't free you from the feudal serf system though.
Regardless who makes the goods you will still be TAXED for them when they are sold.
You will still ALSO pay property TAX to the crown on any house you lease or own, don't pay it and see who really owns that house...
In short it takes your income away and when you cant pay the crown's taxes they steal what you have worth of value instead.
They know how little the printed dollar is worth and will use it to steal any material of value while they still can... welcome to the reservation.
As alluded to in the article... the change was most likely done so that Foxconn can lessen the burden of some of the human rights issues they are facing by starting to replace the workers with machines. If and when they could replace the human workforce 100%, there will be no hesitation to do so.
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