In today’s interview, we sat down with Alan Manning, Professor of Labour Economics at the London School of Economics. He is a leading author in his field, particularly in understanding the imperfections of labour markets.

From factory floors to doorstep delivery, this is how logistics systems are beginning to power themselves.

Robots and their impact on the economy is on the forefront of everyone’s mind. Will robots increase productivity and jobs, improve society, and will wealth be shared? To address this question, we’ll be talking to three European Experts about the robot economy. In today’s interview, we sat down with Alan Winfield, Professor at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, and expert in robot regulation and ethics. He is often invited to discuss the role of robots in society, including at the World Economic Forum, the Royal Society, and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

National Public Radio (NPR) has published a series of stories about robots and the future of employment in the U.S. and abroad. It begins with the story about the Luddites war on industry and a more recent podcast about the sewing robot DARPA has contracted to research for the production of U.S. military garments.

by: Meghan Hennessey

Walk into any manufacturing facility today. Forklifts and AGVs may be in operation serving specific parts of the manufacturing floor, but you’ll also see hundreds of people at work— pulling, tugging, and pushing goods from point A to point B. Why is it that we are still using humans — our most important asset — for materials transport? Yet, despite being the grease for the manufacturing wheel, materials transport remains an untapped opportunity for automation and innovation in most manufacturing establishments.

The first question people tend to ask when they find out you are a roboticist is, “When are robots going to take over the world and become our masters?” The answer to this question is a big “Never!”