Advanced Computing in the Age of AI | Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Robots Lend an Arm to Automotive Workers 

<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/bmw.robotsx299.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="95" border="0" />Although we all interact with automation systems daily, the age of interacting with full-fledged robots is upon us. While this idea may seem implausible to some, or even just a bit frightening, for BMW employees in Spartanburg, South Carolina, it's just another day on the job.

Although we all interact with automation systems daily, the age of interacting with full-fledged robots is upon us. While this idea may seem implausible to some, or even just a bit frightening, for BMW employees in Spartanburg, South Carolina, it's just another day on the job. 

While many automotive plants utilize both human and robotic “employees,” putting the two side-by-side has always been seen as a hazard. But now, as more user-friendly robots emerge, BMW has taken it upon itself to bridge the gap between human-robot interaction in the workplace.

Since 1961, robots have been used in automotive manufacturing – the first being “Unimate,” a 4,000-pound arm that attached die castings to car doors at the GM production line. Robots like Unimate have been essential to the automotive industry due to their strength and precision, but they’ve thus far been combined to areas where human workers are not present. Because of this, a large number of final assembly tasks are still performed almost entirely by hand. 

Universal Robots, a Danish robotics company, aims to assist the BMW automotive workers with these final assembly tasks with the help of its robots. These robots work specifically with door sealants to keep both sound and water out of a vehicle.

“It’s pretty heavy work because you have to roll this glue line to the door,” says Stefan Bartscher, head of innovation at BMW. “If you do that several times a day, it’s like playing a Wimbledon match.”

While many are fearful that this new concept could possibly take jobs away from hard-working humans, others argue that this would relieve humans of tasks that are dangerous and/or unpleasant. Bartscher agrees with the latter.

“Our workers are getting older,” he says. “The retirement age in Germany just rose from 65 to 67, and I’m pretty sure when I retire it’ll be 72 or something. We actually need something to compensate and keep our workforce healthy, and keep them in labor for a long time. We want to get the robots to support the humans.” 

Currently, BMW is conducting tests on other, more sophisticated robots that are mobile and can work alongside humans. It’s expected that these robots will be introduced within the next few years.

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