AppleInsider Staff
Following up on news that Foxconn would soon deploy robots on assembly lines dedicated to Apple products, a report out of Asia claims the so-called "Foxbots" will have a limited role in device assembly as humans are still needed for most operations.
According to industry insiders, Foxconn's Foxbots will only assist human workers by locking down screws, polishing parts and performing other menial duties when they are finally installed on the production line, reports Taiwan's United Daily News.
The publication's sources said workers are still required for final assembly and quality control of various procedures, though the final robot-to-human ratio is unclear. These people also expect the Foxbots to roll out at Foxconn's factory in Zhengzhou, which is responsible for manufacturing Apple's top-tier iPhone products.
Foxconn CEO Terry Gou on Sunday said his company's Foxbots have reached the final stage of testing and would see deployment in at least one major factory. For its first rollout, the firm is reportedly planning to field as many as 10,000 robots at a cost of $20,000 to $25,000 each. Following the initial 10,000-unit batch, Gou said he expects Foxconn's factories to get Foxbots at a rate of 30,000 per year.
In November of last year, the Zhengzhou plant supposedly hit capacity in making up for low iPhone 5s supplies, churning out some 500,000 units per day on a 24-hour operating schedule. At the time, production of the iPhone 5s was said to require 600 workers per assembly line, compared to 500 people for the previous generation iPhone 5.
If Tuesday's report is accurate, Foxconn's robot initiative may be a move to accelerate iPhone build times, not replace existing employees as previously thought. The theory jibes with rumors from June that claimed the firm will hire some 100,000 new workers in a ramp up to iPhone 6 production this month.
Apple is expected to release two new iPhone models with 4.7-inch and 5.5.-inch screen sizes when the usual refresh cycle comes around in September. Bearing the same overall aesthetic, both versions are expected to be completely redesigned with a thinner chassis more akin to the current iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display. Some analysts believe Apple will attempt to differentiate the larger "phablet" variant from its smaller siblings by adding high-end features like optical image stabilization and more onboard storage.
Although Apple has yet to announce the next-gen iPhone, recent rumors have already guessed at a launch date on either Sept. 25 or on Sept. 19.
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37 Comments
Our societies are in deep, deep trouble. Maybe sooner than we think, most people will not be needed for work. What do we do then, with all the idle hands?
Well it's a good thing too! I guess Apple won't be buying robots of its own and using them in factories in the US. Phew!
Same thing we did with all the people manually rewriting books before the manual printing press was invented, typesetters before digital printing was invented, elevator operators before push button elevators were invented, pinsetters before bowling alleys were automated, icemen who delivered ice before the fridge was invented, lamplighters for street gas lamps, before electricity was invented, telegraph operators before the Internet was invented and phone operators before phone switches were automated.
We kill them.
Just kidding, they find something else to do.
Robots have been in use in factories for decades and there are close to 2 million already deployed just in manufacturing. These are simply automated machinery, not C-3PO science fiction comic book fantasy androids capable of doing anything at all on their own. The manufacture and use of robots creates lots of jobs for manufacturing, technology, and knowledge workers.
Societies may be in deep, deep trouble but it's not going to be a result of robots being used in manufacturing or any other form of highly repetitive, mundane, high precision, or dangerous processes or tasks that are more efficiently done by programmable machinery. A quick perusal of the daily headlines seems to indicate that the meat based automatons who are currently running our societies seem to be more than capable and determined to destroy our societies unaided by any programmable machinery whatsoever.
I recall commenting on the necessary synergy between human and machine just the other day, and how stupid it would be for FOXCONN to can it's human staffing.