His next step is to enhance the system with a vision system. Hardly, says Wyvill, adding that robotics is not about making humans obsolete. Indeed, flexible automation creates a better workplace for humans by upgrading job skill requirements to a higher level. There's also the issue of safety concerns. Many of these jobs are highly repetitive, putting workers at risk for cumulative trauma disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Automation can reduce injuries.
The job that the IIBM performs is a very repetitive motion, observes Wayne Painter, plant maintenance engineer at ConAgra in Gainesville. Photographs are copyrighted by the Georgia Tech Research Corporation and may be freely used by the news media with credit to the Georgia Institute of Technology. The photographer is Stanley Leary, Georgia Tech Communications Division.