Assembly Line 'Bot Sales Unplugged
GM's suicidal robot may be joined by his unemployed brothers before long. The automotive sales slump is not only affecting flesh and blood workers, but also those of the cybernetic persuasion. Automotive News [sub] reports that North American orders for production robots dropped 34 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same time last year. While the auto industry normally places about two-thirds of the total orders for industrial robots, sales this year only amount to a little over half. Ake Lindqvist, VP at ABB Robotics takes a "don't worry, be happy" view of the downturn. "We know Chrysler's new management has held back on previous planned investments until they have sorted out internal things, but it will come." He also expects Ford, BMW and Hyundai to make "major robotics investments" toward the end of the year and into next year. The latter two I can see, as they're building new plants or expanding existing ones, but Ford? And Chrysler? Somehow it doesn't seem that companies that are selling off assets, stiffing their suppliers, firing thousands of workers or drastically cutting production will be investing millions in new equipment they may never use.
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Yeah I heard one of them robots whinin' about it. Think he said -- "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain .... Time to die." What an emo wuss.
Kevin: If you recited that line from memory, you've watched Bladerunner too many times. :) When informed that its services would no longer be required, the robot replied "Do you want me to sit in the corner and rust, or just fall apart where I'm standing?"
Actually, Marvin the Paranoid Android said it.