One armed , programmable robots are being used in tandem with human workers at manufacturers including Whirlpool , GM and Boeing , taking over repetitive tasks . Production companies are more frequently using “ collaborative robots ” , robots that are aware enough of their surroundings to detect if robots bump into them . Economists are concerned that the entire factory industry will shift jobs to automation . However , manufacturers say that the use of robots will improve safety , increase efficiency and could lead to the relocation of robots back to the factory .
One armed, programmable robots are being used in tandem with human workers at manufacturers including Whirlpool, GM and Boeing, taking over repetitive tasks. Production companies are more frequently using “collaborative robots”, machines that are aware enough of their surroundings to stop if humans bump into them. Economists are concerned that the US factory industry will lose jobs to automation. However, manufacturers say that the integration of robots will improve safety, increase efficiency and could lead to the relocation of factories back to the US.