Hardware Podcasts

67. Don’t Lose Your Job Because of Robots or Carbon Dioxide

The Next Byte Podcast · 26 Apr 2022 · 30m

What this episode covers

Daniel Scott Mitchell and Farbod Moghaddam discuss research from EPFL and the University of Lausanne on automating physical labor, noting that slaughter and meat packing are high-risk jobs while physicists are low-risk, and highlighting a system that suggests career transitions. They then cover studies from Harvard and SUNY Upstate Medical University showing that CO2 levels above 1,000 ppm impair cognitive function, leading to a discussion of Disruptive Technology's IoT sensors and demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) systems that can boost worker productivity by up to 60%.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
EPFL, University of Lausanne, Disruptive Technology, Harvard, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Also
Onet database, robotic multi-annual road map, technology readiness level

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Robot Talk · 38m

    Episode 93: Robots and AI in the workplace - Matt Beane

    Matt Beane, an assistant professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, explains that AI and robotics are making novice involvement in work optional, which disrupts the essential expert-novice learning dynamic. He details how this 'novice optional' finding harms the '3 Cs' of skill development—challenge, complexity, and connection—using examples from robotic surgery and knowledge work. Beane also discusses his new company, Skill Bench, which aims to help organizations optimize AI adoption by identifying tasks that must remain human for skill preservation.

    AI & machine learningCareers & education
    8 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 1h 13m

    MODEX Recap; Family-owned business turns to cobots for help

    Steve Crow and Mike Oisman recap the MODEX tradeshow, highlighting Boston Dynamics' Stretch truck-unloading robot, Big Joe's cobot pallet jack, and the merger of Locust and Waypoint Robotics. They interview Brian Tu, Chief Revenue Officer of DCL Logistics, a family-owned fulfillment company that deployed Universal Robots cobots to address labor shortages and rising costs. Tu explains how the modular cobots improved productivity by over 200% and eliminated miss-picks, offering a flexible alternative to expensive, inflexible enterprise automation systems.

    Robotics & autonomyManufacturing partners & offshoring
    8 chapters

  • IoT For All Podcast · 27m

    Connected Workers and the Evolution of the Industrial Workforce | SensorUp's Steve Liang

    Steve Liang, Founder and CTO of SensorUp, explains how his company evolved from academic research on IoT interoperability to building a platform that connects siloed industrial systems for better data visibility and prediction. He details SensorUp's pivot into the 'connected worker' space, driven by the need to empower frontline employees in dangerous environments like methane leak detection, and discusses the critical importance of standardizing data exchange for climate tech applications. Liang also shares his 'AI and IoT Canvas' framework, advising companies to prioritize prediction tasks that offer competitive advantage over simple monitoring.

    Connected products & IoTAI & machine learning
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 37m

    Solving Labor Challenges the Simpler Way: A Fresh Look at Robotics w/ Ken Macken

    Ken Macken, CEO and founder of Workr Labs, explains how his company addresses manufacturing labor shortages by deploying a flexible robotic workforce designed for high-mix, high-variability environments. He details their approach of using computer vision and an iPad interface to allow operators with zero training to teach robots tasks in minutes, shifting the focus from complex technology to practical workforce transformation. Macken cites Fireplay Tile as a key customer example, illustrating how automating dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks like depalletization can increase capacity and improve employee morale rather than threatening jobs.

    Robotics & autonomyHiring & workforce
    7 chapters

  • EE Times Current · 30m

    A Disaster Waiting to Happen | Get Up, Stand Up

    Phil Copelman, co-founder of Edge Case Research, argues that SAE Level 3 autonomy is a safety disaster because the standard's complex handoff requirements are unintelligible to drivers, creating a dangerous gap between engineering definitions and human understanding. The episode also examines Amazon's labor practices through the lens of Robin Gaster, author of 'Behemoth, Amazon Rising,' discussing the unionization vote at the Bessemer, Alabama facility and the company's culture of worker disposability. Additionally, the hosts cover Arm's announcement of its V9 architecture and Boston Dynamics' new 'Stretch' warehouse robot.

    Debugging & failure analysisHiring & workforce
    5 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Next Byte Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.