TEDxBoston - Mick Mountz - Let The Inventory Walk and Talk

[zanycaswell]

@criverock if automation really caused unemployment the economy would have crashed a long time before now

[zanycaswell]

@mecon2 They probably drive themselves to charging stations when they get low

[HeadDopus]

I understand that it's more efficient, but it's interesting how walking on the job isn't valued in the middle of an obesity crisis.

[rewby22]

I enjoyed this topic, and Nick's presentation of it, a great deal.

[666alberto]

Yea AMAZing, anyway could be implemented also the "scan" isn't it?

(and also the packaging but maybe that is really $ because of 3xzy robot placing..

anyway what a slowness by the pickers0_o!

[kingofbrooklin]

Holy crap, did TED really change the intro music? THANK YOU!!!

[mecon2]

How do you charge all 10,000 - 1,000,000 robots? :S

[Michirobin]

Gay

[bipolarmike]

lol, Youtube comment arguments XD

[GuillaumeSanfacon]

I was waiting for the moment He will start playing keyboard and djembe... :(

[criverock]

leaving workers at home and you will sell less goods! and so on until the economic system collapse under its own gravity! but that's good! thanks god capitalism has this profound contradiction and we will be forced to move into another type of economy! maybe where we are not manipulated to buy stuff we don't need! but rather save production for efficiency sustainability and abundance! have you ever heard about technological unemployment and resource based economy???

[Gr4yW0rld]

only a few small steps away before the humans are removed entirely!

[HiAdrian]

Good talk, interesting :)

[TerryEUK]

Did my first project on pick automation in this sector 35 years ago. An excellent piece of lateral thinking and innovation. I like it :)

[bilsemon]

Will the robots also buy the products?

[TheUnchainedMind]

I don't really see why human beings are involved at all in the packaging of these goods.

Couldn't a system of conveyor belts do the job even faster and at no cost other than that of the electricity used ?

[sadjesture]

@TheUnchainedMind

How can you ensure that the machine can pack the items in the box in the most efficient way? (Be it by volume or prevent items from crushing each other)

[TheUnchainedMind]

@sadjesture

An algorithm can easily be created for the packaging of goods in the most efficient way.

You could, for instance divide the items into cathegories: cans and metal containers, glass, plastic, fruit and vegetables (by their bar code, perhaps) and them pack them so that the heaviest/most resistent items are on the bottom and the most fragile on top. As for the volume it's a simple matter of feeding the robot info about the size of each item in respect to the box.

[bakasheru]

@TheUnchainedMind

Why does everyone always assume that during shipping the top of the box stays up?

[TheUnchainedMind]

@bakasheru

If it's food they're transporting then I'm quite sure they'll be carefull with the way they do it.

And if you're implying that the boxes are put at random and flip around then all the better reason not to have human beings, because their efforts would ammount to nothing, just like the robot's.

[dreamer98]

@TheUnchainedMind how much is a robotic system to choose the correct items and put them in a box vs how much is a minimum wage worker?

[TheUnchainedMind]

@dreamer98

Once you know how to build the robot you can just make hundreds or thousands of them.

Even if the system cost ten million dollars to build, which is very unlikely, it would still be worth it because it just works tirelessly for as long as it is mantained, and it will outperform the minimum wage worker in terms of speed. If you sum up those wages, eventually it adds up to more than the system, it's inevitable.

It would be a good investment.

[dreamer98]

@TheUnchainedMind so stop commenting on youtube videos and do it.

[TheUnchainedMind]

@dreamer98

I'm sorry, but what is with this idiotic response ?

We were talking about how convenient a packaging method this was, it has nothing to do with me. Why do you feel that you must come to ad hominem attacks ?

[dreamer98]

@TheUnchainedMind clearly you're some sort of idiot.

[TheUnchainedMind]

@dreamer98

Ok, dreamer boy, I accept your withdrawal.

Have a good day :)

[dreamer98]

@TheUnchainedMind thank you. i will. i hope you have a bad one.

[EdgarGG89]

@TheUnchainedMind NO

[TheUnchainedMind]

@EdgarGG89

Thank you for the reply, all-knowing being.

Care to grace us with a reason for such a firm answer ?

[capitalistdingo]

Eventually the pick-pack worker will be replaced with a robot just as few jobs exist for horse-pulled carriage makers. Our kids may grow up deprived of the option of working as a pick-pack worker but whatever job they do will probably only exist because of systems like this.

[capitalistdingo]

The workers still stand, reach, turn and move. They probably get more exercise than many desk jockey. I say this as a former desk Jockey myself ;-)

[primadita]

now all that the employees must think about are how to stay fit,since they're no longer running around to get things done