Robotic Automation: Humans versus Machine Labor Costs

The average wage for a skilled U.S. auto worker is about $30 per hour plus spiraling 6% annual healthcare and retirement costs. The average cost for robotic factory labor is .30 cents per hour only 1/50 the cost of a skilled auto worker or 1/5 that of the average Chinese warehouse worker making $3 per hour. A single robotic courier can save a hospital $600,000 over five years.

Currently, we find signs of global economic growth beginning to return in Q2 2009 with China 6%, Japan’s .9%, France 1.4% and Germany 1.3%. Despite positive global signs, the U.S. economy still contracted by (-1%) April – June 2009. There is little doubt as the economic recovery takes hold over the next 18-months, the U.S. will need to prepare for the new global market conditions including:

1. Intense global competition from emerging markets (examples Brazil, Africa, China, India, Turkey, Canada, Malaysia, Chile, Singapore, Cambodia) that drive the acceleration for price conscience manufacturing innovations. The massive U.S. debt obligations are significantly depleting ability to achieve economic growth. This has affected balance sheets forcing companies to begin implementing new internal cost efficient processes that include robotic labor automation and virtual enterprise models.

2. As emerging markets add 700 million middle class people by 2022 (example, China 350 million and India 100 million) the demand doubles for agricultural food, clean water, energy non-renewable and renewable further driving the necessity for cost competitive innovations particularly in manufacturing. Already, we find robotic agricultural crop harvesting being introduced in Europe.

3. Demographic population shifts (for example, the U.S. has 98 million retiring baby boomers and Europe’s population labor shortages already exist) that will accelerate the cost competitive demand for innovative affordable medical procedures. Examples are telemedicine, remote monitoring and robotic surgery...Read More    http://robotautomation.blogspot.com/

About Author

Mr. Rickman is a respected analyst, innovative expert in business content and web development services with over 30-years experience, published worldwide. He is also the author of several books including Eight Billion People.  Mr. Rickman holds advanced business and technical degrees from Boston University. For more information visit : http://www.sustainablevirtualbiz.com  or  call (503) 621-4953