Photo: BMW
BMW has invested in its factories, and the result comes in the form of robots, which will be implemented in some wards of the manufacturing process.
While this may seem like the industrial revolution all over again, humans are not in jeopardy of losing their jobs. BMW has underlined the fact that this risk does not exist because of the new robots, and that the company considers its employees “irreplaceable due to cognitive abilities.”
If BMW’s factories will not become fully automated, and all employees get to keep their jobs, some of you might wonder why the company went through with this investment.
The answer is simple: BMW wants to increase efficiency, and this is done with robots that help people do their tasks. Instead of having humans work in positions that are not ergonomic for their bodies, lightweight robots are implemented to assist them.
One of these devices is the exoskeleton, which is worn like an overall and helps employees lift or stabilize heavy objects. It also works if the employee has to hold a tool in an uncomfortable position.
Thanks to this device, those workers risk fewer injuries, and they can go back to their folks at the end of the day with more energy on tap for leisure activities.
BMW is also working to reduce repetitive tasks that can pose a strenuous or stereotypical strain, which makes any employee hate his or her job after a couple of months or years. An example of this kind of action involves applying a particular level of force to an object that is placed in a specific position.
The German company already uses 40 lightweight robots in its facilities across the Globe for various tasks, and the fleet will increase to 60 by the middle of the year.
BMW even has work gloves with built-in scanners, which eliminate the heavy hand-held units that are required to identify parts and other labeled items.
Whatever conspiracy theory some people might draw up, these robots pose no threat to human workers, as they are designed to operate with humans, not as replacements. Even if robots would replace people, somebody would still have to fix those robots (for instance), and many things cannot be done without our species.
If BMW’s factories will not become fully automated, and all employees get to keep their jobs, some of you might wonder why the company went through with this investment.
The answer is simple: BMW wants to increase efficiency, and this is done with robots that help people do their tasks. Instead of having humans work in positions that are not ergonomic for their bodies, lightweight robots are implemented to assist them.
One of these devices is the exoskeleton, which is worn like an overall and helps employees lift or stabilize heavy objects. It also works if the employee has to hold a tool in an uncomfortable position.
Thanks to this device, those workers risk fewer injuries, and they can go back to their folks at the end of the day with more energy on tap for leisure activities.
BMW is also working to reduce repetitive tasks that can pose a strenuous or stereotypical strain, which makes any employee hate his or her job after a couple of months or years. An example of this kind of action involves applying a particular level of force to an object that is placed in a specific position.
The German company already uses 40 lightweight robots in its facilities across the Globe for various tasks, and the fleet will increase to 60 by the middle of the year.
BMW even has work gloves with built-in scanners, which eliminate the heavy hand-held units that are required to identify parts and other labeled items.
Whatever conspiracy theory some people might draw up, these robots pose no threat to human workers, as they are designed to operate with humans, not as replacements. Even if robots would replace people, somebody would still have to fix those robots (for instance), and many things cannot be done without our species.
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