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Tag: robots

  • Jobs Robots Do: Changes in the Workforce

    Jobs Robots Do: Changes in the Workforce

    The Industrial Revolution saw amazing changes to the world of manufacturing. It also saw many trained, capable people lose their jobs. In a world of automation, self-driving cars, and increasingly complex artificial intelligence, we stand on the cusp of another revolution. In Canada, almost 42% of labourers are at a very high risk of losing work due to these changes within the next two decades. The idea of work and having jobs has been around in human civilization for millennia. What will happen when the very foundation of this concept is shaken to its core?

    In the United States, three million people can expect to lose their jobs as self-driving vehicles take care of deliveries and transportation. Fleets of self-driving trucks have already made treks across Europe. The fields of accounting, health care, policing, education, and more are expected to soon utilize artificial intelligence in increasingly significant ways. Unlike the Industrial Revolution, it could be much more difficult for people to simply transition into other lines of work. Despite the dystopian vibes that this future brings about, there is the potential for humans to enter a whole new era of work.

    For the first time in human history, it will not be necessary for the vast majority of people to work long hours. One very likely situation, and a possibility already being discussed in Ontario, is to provide a basic income to everyone that would replace all current welfare programs. Some may criticize this simplistic form of welfare as encouraging laziness, but it could do just the opposite. Creative, artistic, and socially-driven jobs will be in high demand. With our basic needs met through a guaranteed income, we will be free to pursue jobs out of passion as opposed to pressure. The need for creators, teachers, and social workers will continue for many years to come.

    Many other lines of work are not expected to disappear entirely. Instead, humans will work alongside ‘cobots’. These robots will perform the less ideal tasks in many lines of work, including the dull and the dangerous. The work left for humans will be more specialized and far less monotonous. It also allows for more free time outside of one’s career. According to the Canadian Occupation Projection System, high-skilled and low-risk careers are expected to become a significant part of the workforce. Approximately 712,000 new jobs are expected between 2014 and 2024 amongst occupations unlikely to be fully automatized.

    The idea of jobs, which was remained essentially the same throughout the history of civilization, could be about to undergo a major shift. This is definitely scary, and there will be those who suffer because of it. However, we are on the verge of creating a world of work driven by passion instead of working just to survive. This would be a world full of specialized jobs, in which we use utilize our strengths as humans to our full potential with the assistance of robots. Jobs people do will never be the same.

    Sources:

    Cixin, Liu. The Robot Revolution Will Be the Quietest One. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/opinion/the-robot-revolution-will-be-the-quietest-one.html

    Lamb, Creig. The Rise of Robots: Why the Future of Jobs in Canada Isn’t All Doom and Gloom. Brookfield Institute. http://brookfieldinstitute.ca/

     

  • Career Profile: Robotics Engineer

    Career Profile: Robotics Engineer

    Have you ever flown a remote-controlled airplane or used a robot to complete some kind of task? If you have, did you spend a lot of time trying to discover exactly how the machine worked? The expanding field of robotic engineering might be right for you.

    If you’ve ever taken a robot apart, you know how complicated they can be. Engineers working in this field have to know about mathematics and science, and they should also be able to take machines apart and put them back together. One of the main areas where robotics engineers work is in manufacturing, where robots work with everything from car assembly to lifting heavy objects. Recently, the use of robotics has also been expanding to other fields, such as agriculture and mining.

    Much of what robotics engineers do every day is to work with computers and other machines, but they also need some practical experience. For example, if they are designing new crop harvesters for farmers, they need to understand the different needs of each type of farm, such as a wheat field or an apple orchard. The skills they need for developing toy robots will be somewhat different from the techniques they need for designing machines for a nuclear power plant. Gaining experience in working with robots will help you decide what branch of robotic engineering you want to pursue.

    You might already be able to design simple robots, but becoming a robotics engineer involves getting a formal education. Most people in this field have at least a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Engineering degree with courses in engineering, mathematics or the physical sciences.

    In high school, you can already start to study some of these subjects, as well as high-level mathematics and advanced science. Getting into a robotics program in a university can be difficult, but keeping your grades high will help. Generally, students who do well in high school will find it easier to get into university than students who have struggled to pass their courses.

    Once you get into the robotics program, your studies will include many different aspects of the work, including theory, design and development. Most programs allow students to specialize in mechanical, electrical or industrial engineering. You can start to focus on one of these branches if you already know what interests you, but it is also good to learn as much as possible about all types of engineering if you can.

    Most degree programs are four years, and you can also continue on to a Master’s degree if you want to advance in the field. If you want to teach, you will most likely need to continue on to a PhD. level. Career prospects are limited since most robotics engineers stay in their jobs for many years.

    The average annual salary for robotics engineers working in manufacturing and related fields is almost $68,500. For people who enjoy designing machines and working out difficult problems, the job of robotics engineer can be a good choice.