Like others who track robotics, we’d heard the rumors: Rethink was focusing on manufacturing; its robots would be so inexpensive every factory would be able to afford one; the robots would help make workers more efficient and American factories competitive again.
Evan Ackerman provides insights into the construction of Baxter, and how that leads to manufacturing jobs staying in the USA. And if Baxter is ‘Made in the USA’ then we may see the start of the robots manufacturing robots industry. To date, most robots are made by hand, even the Aldebaran Nao. Increase in production will create increased demand for manufacturing robots… a lovely circle!
See on m.spectrum.ieee.org