Yaskawa Electric puts robot on package-sorting duty

It looks like Japan's Yaskawa Electric has found yet another human job for its Motoman-DIA10 robot to take, with the company now teaming with Mitsui & Co. and Hokusho Co. to put the bot to work sorting packages. Apparently, the multipurpose bot will be paired with Hokusho's existing sorting system, letting the robot scan the barcodes on packages and route them appropriately, supposedly at a rate of 1,000 items per hour. As you can see above, the robot certainly seems to mean business, boasting seven-axis robotic arms that are no doubt capable of far more than simply sorting packages.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

[Big @ Jul 11th 2007 11:16AM]

is it neccesary for it to have a face?

[kaztm @ Jul 11th 2007 12:15PM]

Is it necessary for it to have boobs?

[Kamokazi @ Jul 11th 2007 2:55PM]

The funny thing is the boobs are probably more necessary than the face. My guess is it needs to house some motors inside there.

[peterson146 @ Jul 11th 2007 3:19PM]

Yes, for frustrated human co-workers to punch when stressed...

[aeo @ Jul 11th 2007 11:17AM]

So... why does the portion of the robot where the arms mount A) simulate a humanoid form and B) have boobs?

[Gabe McGuinness @ Jul 11th 2007 11:31AM]

I for one, welcome our new package sorting, freaky armed, robot overlords...

[Jack @ Jul 11th 2007 11:55AM]

just what I was about to say, you will know when the are getting smart, they will join a union!

[apeguero @ Jul 11th 2007 11:24AM]

Which one is the robot in the picture? I though it was the "thing" in the background. I thought the machine in the foreground was a dentist machine of some sort with what looks like an emotionless stare and boobs (?!?!?)

[Brian W. @ Jul 11th 2007 11:48AM]

robots are stealing out jobs!

[pete @ Jul 11th 2007 2:42PM]

they took our jerbs!!!

[pete @ Jul 11th 2007 2:10PM]

They took our jerbs!!!!

[akoyfman @ Jul 11th 2007 12:03PM]

Great story. One of the many great uses for Robots to replace cheap menial labor :-). There was an interesting and realated article about more progress in this direction and what Rod Brooks at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) wants to do with robots in the future. No more jobs for you! Even the programmers will be replaced ... probably with more programmers.

Take a look here: http://www.xconomy.com/2007/07/05/reconfiguring-labor-markets-pondering-the-meaning-of-life/

[pete @ Jul 11th 2007 2:14PM]

Nice...Very Nice!!! How much?

[Mile @ Jul 11th 2007 12:57PM]

Those boobs are about as real as most boobs on the tube or even on the beach these days, so I don't see what the issue is.

[Brutalnet Nick @ Jul 12th 2007 2:02AM]

DEM DERE ROBOTS! DEY TOOK UR JRR! DRR TRR KRR JRR!!!

[psxp @ Jul 11th 2007 1:21PM]

hmm.. notice the human in the background is sporting the same coloured uniform as the robot?!!

[TyPe @ Jul 11th 2007 2:37PM]

Those arms will come in handy when the robots are sorting human skulls and extracting the metal from the fillings to build more robots.

[Rainier @ Jul 11th 2007 5:47PM]

Domo Arigato, Booby Roboto....

[Brian Z Jones @ Jul 12th 2007 5:31AM]

At FedEx (and UPS, I'm told our standards are the same) we expect human sorters to sort 1450 pkgs/hr w/multiple destinations, and 1600pph if only sorting with 2 options. I thought robots were supposed to be faster than hu-mons.

-bZj

[Wil @ Jul 13th 2007 11:29PM]

Yeah, but how many are missorts compared to what the robot would missort? The robot should have 100% accuracy and doesn't need to take breaks.

[Tom @ Jul 16th 2007 10:04AM]

The head is not required. Its just for fun. Front facia is to cover motors. The form factor is to provide the most reach and flexibility in the smallest footprint.