40% of our jobs will be lost to automation by 2050; say Oxford economists Dr Carl Frey and Dr Michael Osborne who predict that 40% of all jobs are at the risk of being lost to automation.
Similar fears arose during early 1960’s, when the unemployment rate rose to 7.1 % from 5% in the US. Times Magazine had quoted that the introduction of computers would lead to job losses (source). However, the IT industry has come a long way, and we have seen new and improved technical jobs that have led to better opportunities in the work front, which have resulted in better lifestyles. In other words, despite the fear, computers ended up bringing more jobs than they destroyed.
Lately, we have seen technological advancements in the field of robotics and automation too. The same thought of job loss is haunting the current generation now. Technology has been changing very rapidly. There are a lot of areas where robots are being successfully used, including healthcare, defense & security, automated transportation and many other industries. The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2025, technology will create at least 12 million more jobs than it destroys (source).
Another area where robotic solution has been in the early stage of development is that of cleaning and maintaining high rise buildings. This treacherous job is currently being done by humans. Buildings these days come with highly sophisticated architecture that would leave you amazed! Some of these buildings are as high as a few hundred meters. Many of these high-rise buildings are situated in Middle Eastern countries where the temperature can reach as high as 50 C/110 F. Also, places like Chicago have many skyscrapers, where the average windspeed ranges from 40-50 mph. In these extreme weather conditions, it is difficult for humans to clean the skyscrapers. Dangerous jobs like this should be automated.
We have seen very few robotic solutions in this area of work, but these have negligible market penetration due to impractical technology. All these solutions are bulky, get blown away by strong winds and don’t clean well. We, at WCB Robotics have created a robot that is very light, cleans well, and needs humans to monitor from the ground. Not only will ease the process of cleaning and maintaining these tall buildings, but also create multiple job opportunities.
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