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Introduction of the industrial robot in Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2009

James Fleck
James Fleck
Affiliation:
Technology Policy Unit, University of Aston, Gosta Green, Birmingham B4 7ET (U.K.)
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Summary

The technical, managerial, organisational, economic and labour factors found to be important in an empirical study of more than forty firms adopting or considering robots, are outlined. Specific problems, arising from the requirements for managing integrated mechanical, electronic and computational systems, and the novel choreographic approach to production embodied in robots, are posed by the introduction of this new technology. For their effective solution, these problems demand an increased level of competence and expertise, at all levels from the managerial to the technical. But robots are just one part of modern automation, and in the future programmable automation – the integration of computer technology, robotics and conventional automation – will increasingly become the competitive standard in manufacturing industry. The introduction of such new technological standards, though forced by competitive pressures, will, however, require extensive institutional, organisational, and disciplinary adaptation if their full potential is to be realised and the UK is to remain one of the leading industrial nations.

Type
Article
Information
Robotica , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , July 1984 , pp. 169 - 175
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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References

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