Google Curving a Niche for Robotic Future
Google Inc. has acquired seven companies for a robotics project over the last half year to launch its efforts to create a new generation of robots for automation process of packaging and delivery. The project is led by Andy Rubin, the man who built Google’s Android software into the world’s dominant force of smartphones.
Google aims to invest time and money in robotics science to make industrial assembly lines even more efficient. Google is investing in this project to design robots which are mobile and capable of manipulating objects that could assist in manufacturing, package delivery, or other tasks.
Andy Rubin is 50 year old Google executive, in-charge of the newly amazing effort of Google, who has enormous passion towards robotics. Expressing his thoughts on this project, he referred an example of a Windshield wiper that has enough ‘intelligence” to operate when it rains without human intervention as similar to this project.
He further said, the mission of this project lies in the vision put forward by “Google Chief Executive Officer Larry Page”, who strongly believes and states that technology should be deployed wherever possible to free humans from drudgery and repetitive tasks. He also said, the project would need enough runway and a 10 year vision.
Google executives admit robotic vision to be a “MoonShot” and believe that there are potential failures of particular initiatives and investments, but on the whole they are quite confident of financial benefits for investors from these efforts. Google Chief Executive Officer Larry Page also seems to be equally excited to look for early developments and Rubin’s robotics endeavour.
Andrew MAcfee, the principal research scientist at MIT Center for Digital Business expressed his views on this project and said “The opportunity is Massive”. He also added that, there are large group of people who are still carrying out many activities like picking up things in distribution centers and working behind in the back rooms of grocery stores. Google’s Robotic effort is to automate the portions of an existing supply chain that would stretch from factories floor to the companies that ship and deliver goods to a consumer’s doorstep.
Google has recently introduced experimenting package delivery system in the urban areas with its Google Shopping Service in few locations like San Francisco. Google Shopping service is already making home deliveries for companies like Target, Walgreens and American Eagle Outfitters. Some day in near future, Google will provide an automated delivery system to deliver to the doorstep which is now dependent on humans with the successful launch of robotic system.