Centre of Communication and Design – English Language Programs

Level 6: Advanced
The first industrial robot was introduced to the U.S. in the 1960s. Since then, their technology has improved
immensely creating many advantages of robots. The advancement of robotics has also caused robots to
become more widespread across various industries ranging from manufacturing to health care. Many benefits
of robots seem to be most noticeable in productivity, safety, and in saving time and money.

Productivity

 Robots produce more accurate and high quality work.

 Robots rarely make mistakes and are more precise than human workers.
 They can produce a greater quantity in a short amount of time.
 They can work at a constant speed with no breaks, days off, or holiday time.
 They can perform applications with more repeatability than humans.

Safety

 Robots save workers from performing dangerous tasks.

 They can work in hazardous conditions, such as poor lighting, toxic chemicals, or tight spaces.
 They are capable of lifting heavy loads without injury or tiring.
 Robots increase worker safety by preventing accidents since humans are not performing risky jobs.
 Workcells provide safety features, separating the worker from harms way.

Savings

 Robots save time by being able to produce a greater magnitude of products

 They also reduce the amount of wasted material used due to their accuracy
 Robots save companies money in the long run with quick ROIs (return on investment), fewer worker injuries
(reducing or eliminating worker’s comp), and with using less materials.

Advantages and disadvantages of automation

Last modified on 11 March 2015

 Centre of Communication and Design – English Language Programs
Level 6: Advanced
Advantages commonly attributed to automation include higher production rates and increased productivity,
more efficient use of materials, better product quality, improved safety, shorter workweeks for labour, and
reduced factory lead times. Higher output and increased productivity have been two of the biggest reasons in
justifying the use of automation. Despite the claims of high quality from good workmanship by humans,
automated systems typically perform the manufacturing process with less variability than human workers,
resulting in greater control and consistency of product quality. Also, increased process control makes more
efficient use of materials, resulting in less scrap.

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Worker safety is an important reason for automating an industrial operation. Automated systems often
remove workers from the workplace, thus safeguarding them against the hazards of the factory environment.
In the United States the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) was enacted with the national
objective of making work safer and protecting the physical well-being of the worker. OSHA has had the
effect of promoting the use of automation and robotics in the factory.

Another benefit of automation is the reduction in the number of hours worked on average per week by factory
workers. About 1900 the average workweek was approximately 70 hours. This has gradually been reduced
to a standard workweek in the United States of about 40 hours. Mechanization and automation have played a
significant role in this reduction. Finally, the time required to process a typical production order through the
factory is generally reduced with automation.

A main disadvantage often associated with automation, worker displacement, has been discussed above.
Despite the social benefits that might result from retraining displaced workers for other jobs, in almost all
cases the worker whose job has been taken over by a machine undergoes a period of emotional stress. In
addition to displacement from work, the worker may be displaced geographically. In order to find other
work, an individual may have to relocate, which is another source of stress.

Other disadvantages of automated equipment include the high capital expenditure required to invest in
automation (an automated system can cost millions of dollars to design, fabricate, and install), a higher level
of maintenance needed than with a manually operated machine, and a generally lower degree of flexibility in
terms of the possible products as compared with a manual system (even flexible automation is less flexible
than humans, the most versatile machines of all).

Also there are potential risks that automation technology will ultimately subjugate rather than serve
humankind. The risks include the possibility that workers will become slaves to automated machines, that
the privacy of humans will be invaded by vast computer data networks, that human error in the management

Last modified on 11 March 2015

 Centre of Communication and Design – English Language Programs
Level 6: Advanced
of technology will somehow endanger civilization, and that society will become dependent on automation
for its economic well-being.

These dangers aside, automation technology, if used wisely and effectively, can yield substantial
opportunities for the future. There is an opportunity to relieve humans from repetitive, hazardous, and
unpleasant labour in all forms. And there is an opportunity for future automation technologies to provide a
growing social and economic environment in which humans can enjoy a higher standard of living and a
better way of life.

Impact on the individual

Nearly all industrial installations of automation, and in particular robotics, involve a replacement of human
labour by an automated system. Therefore, one of the direct effects of automation in factory operations is the
dislocation of human labour from the workplace. The long-term effects of automation on employment and
unemployment rates are debatable. Most studies in this area have been controversial and inconclusive. Workers
have indeed lost jobs through automation, but population increases and consumer demand for the products of
automation have compensated for these losses. Labour unions have argued, and many companies have adopted
the policy, that workers displaced by automation should be retrained for other positions, perhaps increasing
their skill levels in the process. This argument succeeds so long as the company and the economy in general
are growing at a rate fast enough to create new positions as the jobs replaced by automation are lost.

Of particular concern for many labour specialists is the impact of industrial robots on the work force,
since robot installations involve a direct substitution of machines for humans, sometimes at a ratio of
two to three humans per robot. The opposing argument within the United States is that robots can increase
productivity in American factories, thereby making these firms more competitive and ensuring that jobs are
not lost to overseas companies. The effect of robotics on labour has been relatively minor, because the
number of robots in the United States is small compared with the number of human workers. As of the early
1990s, there were fewer than 100,000 robots installed in American factories, compared with a total work
force of more than 100 million persons, about 20 million of whom work in factories.

Automation affects not only the number of workers in factories but also the type of work that is done.
The automated factory is oriented toward the use of computer systems and sophisticated programmable
machines rather than manual labour. Greater emphasis is placed on knowledge-based work and technical
skill rather than physical work. The types of jobs found in modern factories include more machine
maintenance, improved scheduling and process optimization, systems analysis, and computer programming
and operation. Consequently, workers in automated facilities must be technologically proficient to perform
these jobs. Professional and semiprofessional positions, as well as traditional labour jobs, are affected by this
shift in emphasis toward factory automation.

Impact on society

Besides affecting individual workers, automation has an impact on society in general. Productivity is a
fundamental economic issue that is influenced by automation. The productivity of a process is traditionally
defined as the ratio of output units to the units of labour input. A properly justified automation project will
increase productivity owing to increases in production rate and reductions in labour content. Over the years,
productivity gains have led to reduced prices for products and increased prosperity for society.

A number of issues related to education and training have been raised by the increased use of automation,
robotics, computer systems, and related technologies. As automation has increased, there has developed a
shortage of technically trained personnel to implement these technologies competently. This shortage has
had a direct influence on the rate at which automated systems can be introduced. The shortage of skilled
staffing in automation technologies raises the need for vocational and technical training to develop the required
Last modified on 11 March 2015
 Centre of Communication and Design – English Language Programs
Level 6: Advanced
work-force skills. Unfortunately the educational system is also in need of technically qualified instructors to
teach these subjects, and the laboratory equipment available in schools does not always represent the state-
of-the-art technology typically used in industry.

Television and Social Development

Television is another technology that has mixed reviews with regard to social skills and social lives. Some
researchers suggest that spending a limited amount of time watching wholesome programs can strengthen
families and friendships. Others believe that television contributes to the downfall of social values in this
country. It does seem that many people spend less time with others in their community than they do with the
people they watch daily on television. Television tends to be a passive medium, which requires little skill
and thought on our part (although some programming bucks this trend). Therefore, television provides little
opportunity for meaningful interaction while watching. Watchers simply sit there and ingest what is
presented to them without having to respond or react to another person. Obviously this can have serious
effects on people’s social skills because viewers are not practicing how to relate to and deal with other
people.

Exposure to what is viewed on television can have some other serious effects on people’s social lives. For
example, exposure to television shows with sexual content may increase the chance of teen pregnancy (see
figure 8.4) (Chandra et al., 2008). Furthermore, when some people see violence, sex, and all manner of
lasciviousness on television, they may be prone to mimic the behavior and think that it is acceptable. Were
everyone to copy the social behaviors portrayed on television, our society would lack morals, and many
levels of individuals’ lives would be destroyed.

In today's world, where just about everything is more convenient and accessible due to advances in
technology across almost all sectors, it may seem as though it's a misnomer to even mention any
disadvantages of technological advances. However, despite how far technology has taken humans and no
matter how convenient it may make things, there are some disadvantages accompanying this level of access.

Last modified on 11 March 2015

 Centre of Communication and Design – English Language Programs
Level 6: Advanced

Advantages and Disadvantages

of Technology Advances
Advantage: Great Discoveries In All Industries

Technology advances show people a more efficient way to do things, and these processes get results. For
example, education has been greatly advanced by the technological advances of computers. Students are able
to learn on a global scale without ever leaving their classrooms. Agricultural processes that once required
dozens upon dozens of human workers can now be automated, thanks to advances in technology, which
means cost-efficiency for farmers. Medical discoveries occur at a much more rapid rate, thanks to machines
and computers that aid in the research process and allow for more intense educational research into medical
matters.

Disadvantage: Dependency

The more advanced society becomes technologically, the more people begin to depend on computers and
other forms of technology for everyday existence. This means that when a machine breaks or a computer
crashes, humans become almost disabled until the problem is resolved. This kind of dependency on
technology puts people at a distinct disadvantage, because they become less self-reliant.

Related Reading: The Benefits of Advances in Technology

Advantage: Cost Efficiency

Cost efficiency is an advantage in some ways and a disadvantage in others. As technology improves on
existing processes and showcases new ways to accomplish tasks, machines are able to produce the same -- if
not more -- output than humans in certain industries. This results in cost savings for business owners,
allowing them to invest in growth in other areas of the business, which contributes on a positive level to the
economy as a whole.

Disadvantage: Less Value In Human Workers

At the same time, human workers retain less value, which is a disadvantage of technological advances.
Because machines automate processes and do the work of 10 people with one computer, companies find they
don't need to employ as many people to get the job done. As machines and computers become even more
advanced and efficient, this will continue to be a growing disadvantage of technology and an issue that has a
global impact.

Last modified on 11 March 2015

 Centre of Communication and Design – English Language Programs
Level 6: Advanced

In the era of information technology, artificial intelligence has been used to make robotic
machines with comprehensive features including friendlier, more intelligent and most
importantly affordable. With these benefits of robotics, it is no wonder that robots have
found their way into much more diverse areas and fulfilled their roles effectively. However,
negative impacts caused by industrial robots to different aspects of society are also
significant challenges. This essay will elaborate on worker health and safety that robots can
create in the workplace and their potential dangers as well as adverse impacts on
employment in modern society.

Safety and health

 Robots save workers from performing dangerous tasks.

 They can work in hazardous conditions, such as poor lighting, toxic chemicals, or tight spaces.
 They are capable of lifting heavy loads without injury or tiring.
 Robots increase worker safety by preventing accidents since humans are not performing risky jobs.

Many experts now worry about the dangers and redundancy that robots pose to the humans
who work alongside them. To elaborate, in the case of industrial robots, unpredictable
movements due to hardware malfunction, errors in software, or overloading are possible,
which can cause the robot to move out of the pre-established operating range and attack staff
working around. For example, a worker at the factory north of Stockholm was attacked and
almost killed by a malfunctioning robot in June 2007 (The Local, 2009). In addition, worker
displacement is another severe problem caused by the emergence of robots. Due to
increasingly flexible and productive capacity of working, automatic machines can replace
unskilled labour force to perform tasks faster and more efficiently in production lines, which
probably leads to the higher risk of unemployment among workers and they have to relocate
to earn a living.

Last modified on 11 March 2015

 Centre of Communication and Design – English Language Programs
Level 6: Advanced
1. Be situated on = be located in
2. Renowned = famous= well-known
3. Spacious = roomy = very large
4. Just a stone’s throw away from = just a very short distance
5. Exquisite = very beautiful = gorgeous
6. Be wrapped=be covered
7. Brand-new =modern
8. Top-notch = excellent
9. Impeccable = perfect

Last modified on 11 March 2015