robots at nearly the rate of the Japanese, and other more consumer oriented versions are very much in the development phase. Even so, industry sources believe that the use of robots to make clothes and other consumer goods will be common by the turn of the century.This general trend (the use of robotics) is likely to change, perhaps dramatically, in the next two decades. Robots are in one sense collections of other more basic technologies: sensors, controlling and analysis software, pattern recognition capabilities and so on. Most all of these other technologies will make significant strides in capability, size, power requirements, and other design characteristics and the integration of these other advances should accrue directly to robotics.Robots are machines which combine computer technology with industrial machines. The computers are programmed to operated the machines. Robots come in many shapes and sizes and can be programmed to perform a variety of tasks.Robots are gradually being introduced on assembly lines in some industries. In automated factories, the amount produced by each human worker increases tremendously, but robots are very expensive for industries to buy. Only large industries such as the auto industry currently develops, though, the cost of robots is dropping and improvements to robots are making them more flexible so more manufacturers will find them useful.The use of robotics effects our economy immensely. Robots are much more durable, faster, efficient, ,reliable and cheaper "workers". The use of robots in industries will rise because employers will see the advantages that robots have over human employees. The utilization of robots in the workplace will have a massive effect to the unemployment rate.Automation: Moving in a New DirectionA small number of decisions we make play a major role in shaping many other areas of our lives. For example, when we decide what (and how) we will consume, a huge system of farms,...
