The biggest technological advancement in the history of the automotive industry is the moving assembly line, courtesy of Henry Ford — right?
It made cars faster and with higher quality making them affordable for the masses, creating an entire industry and several spinoffs as well. Now the automotive industry is at the crux of another transition: humans versus robots.
Now, robots have been involved in the production of vehicles for decades, handling single task operations like welding, moving components, etc. as well as jobs requiring multiple tasks. But automakers have at the leading edge of the development of humanoid robots that will be able just about everything a human can do — only more precisely while needing fewer breaks, no vacations, and no union rep.
And while that may sound great to some, the production of anything used by humans likely benefits from humans being involved in the production process. People see things in ways that robots do not. There is room for nuance in manufacturing, but is it necessary.
So as Honda and Toyota join other automakers like Hyundai, Kia, and perhaps most famously Tesla, in the advancement of humanoid robots designed to aid in the manufacture of new vehicles, we wonder: Do you want more robots or more humans building your new car, truck, or crossover — why? Let us know.
[Images: Honda, Toyota, Hyundai]
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