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Robot sewing machines could make 'made in China' obsolete

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Re: Robot sewing machines could make 'made in China' obsolete

#31

Post by lispm »

How so?

The article is poorly researched.

As if the strategy of automation hasn't been tried in various areas to get back or keep jobs. In some areas this works, in others it hasn't. It also has been tried in this industry.

China is also not even the cheapest place. Clothing now comes from Vietnam, Philippines and other asian countries.

I'm also not sure making manual labor in that area obsolete is actually useful. Somehow the people in the developing countries also want to earn some money.

Re: Robot sewing machines could make 'made in China' obsolete

#34

Post by franzus »

> return manufacturing of smartphones, computers and TVs to U.S. shores

The problem with all that manufacturing being moved overseas is that local jobs are "destroyed". Moving back production for production's sake with the help of robots won't solve this problem. It will only give you a warm cozy patriotic feeling whenever you read "made in $your_country".

Now I think full automation is the future and in the remote future it will liberate humanity from physical labor. But there will be more changes needed than only stuffing factories with robots. We will need an economic system that can cope with a mass of seemingly unemployed/unemployable people.

Re: Robot sewing machines could make 'made in China' obsolete

#35

Post by adrianN »

MarkMc wrote: post #22
seivan wrote: post #16

Lets hope this comes soon.

Really? I usually love technological progress, but in this case it would mean many (millions?) of desperately poor people losing their jobs. I'm hoping this comes much later.

And while we're at it, let's also destroy all mechanical looms?

Re: Robot sewing machines could make 'made in China' obsolete

#36

Post by adventureful »

franzus wrote: post #34

> return manufacturing of smartphones, computers and TVs to U.S. shores The problem with all that manufacturing being moved overseas is that local jobs are "destroyed". Moving back production for production's sake with the help of robots won't solve this problem. It will only give you a warm cozy patriotic feeling whenever you read "made in $your_country". Now I think full automation is the future and in the remote f…

I don't think that's correct at all. It will help a lot, specifically because it's not a zero sum game of just swapping Chinese based manufactured goods out for robot based goods.

The US would stop sending that capital to China (a huge wealth drain), which is helping build out their economy. The US would gain wealth and capital incentives for further robotic development. The US would gain jobs around robotics in all forms. Profitable manufacturing would need and pay for energy, buildings, transportation, and on and on. Profitable manufacturing would also pay taxes, keeping more teachers etc. employed and bolstering the weak US tax base.

Workers would be needed to create buildings, build roads and transmission lines, repair robots, scrap robots, replace robots, R&D robot tech, provide materials, and so on. It would cultivate a huge ecosystem.

Re: Robot sewing machines could make 'made in China' obsolete

#37

Post by adventureful »

pooriaazimi wrote: post #33

Just a minor problem: Chinese robots would cost less than yours, so you end up again building everything in China.

China hasn't demonstrated an ability to do widespread high quality manufacturing. Countries like Germany run circles around China on that front.

It's just as likely that a nation like Sweden or Germany might dominate building the robots that go in the manufacturing plants, rather than China.

Re: Robot sewing machines could make 'made in China' obsolete

#38

Post by ern »

adventureful wrote: post #36
franzus wrote: post #34

> return manufacturing of smartphones, computers and TVs to U.S. shores The problem with all that manufacturing being moved overseas is that local jobs are "destroyed". Moving back production for production's sake with the help of robots won't solve this problem. It will only give you a warm cozy patriotic feeling whenever you read "made in $your_country". Now I think full automation is the future and in the remote f…

I don't think that's correct at all. It will help a lot, specifically because it's not a zero sum game of just swapping Chinese based manufactured goods out for robot based goods. The US would stop sending that capital to China (a huge wealth drain), which is helping build out their economy. The US would gain wealth and capital incentives for further robotic development. The US would gain jobs around robotics in all…

Workers would be needed to create buildings, build roads and transmission lines, repair robots, scrap robots, replace robots, R&D robot tech, provide materials, and so on. It would cultivate a huge ecosystem.

Wouldn't robots eventually move into those fields as well?

Re: Robot sewing machines could make 'made in China' obsolete

#39

Post by SideburnsOfDoom »

adventureful wrote: post #37
pooriaazimi wrote: post #33

Just a minor problem: Chinese robots would cost less than yours, so you end up again building everything in China.

China hasn't demonstrated an ability to do widespread high quality manufacturing. Countries like Germany run circles around China on that front. It's just as likely that a nation like Sweden or Germany might dominate building the robots that go in the manufacturing plants, rather than China.

> It's just as likely that a nation like Sweden or Germany might dominate building the robots that go in the manufacturing plants

I vaguely recall reading that the country that has had the foresight to stay at the top of the chain - making the tools that make the tools that make the goods - is Japan. I can't find a link right now, sorry.

Re: Robot sewing machines could make 'made in China' obsolete

#40

Post by [deleted] »

lispm wrote: post #31

How so? The article is poorly researched. As if the strategy of automation hasn't been tried in various areas to get back or keep jobs. In some areas this works, in others it hasn't. It also has been tried in this industry. China is also not even the cheapest place. Clothing now comes from Vietnam, Philippines and other asian countries. I'm also not sure making manual labor in that area obsolete is actually useful. S…

[deleted]
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