The other day Connie from Far Side of Fifty was talking about buying a new car. She had a few "needs". She wants a car that drives itself, avoids accidents, stops at garage sales and antique shops and lets you read and maybe have a snooze. Well, such a car is almost here. It still costs a lot of money.
Shortly after reading her post I heard an interview on automation and what it may or not do to our economy and society. The possibilities for automation are endless and the technology is here. Money is the main issue for not going automation all the way. It's not just the equipment that costs but changing the whole system of transportation and assembly.
I like to watch videos of auto assembly plants. The worker controls a device that grabs a part , lifts it in place so that the worker can use his high speed screwdriver and attach the part. Automation is one of the reasons that made the rust belt in the U.S. Automation has taken away millions of jobs.
Writers are not going to be spared the job loss. Today the beginning of a sports story is generated by a computer. The writer fills in the details like the score. Hey, I wonder if this works for college assays? Just think it would put cheating out of business. I wonder if this works for blog posts? Blogging would really become easy!
Several years ago I posted on the same topic. I found machines that would pick oranges. How many pickers would lose their employment?
What is going to be done with the millions of people who are replaced by automatons? The interviewer didn't have an answer.
Most of my life I have heard about shorter working hours and more leisure time. It hasn't really happened. The sad part is that there are many very low end part time jobs with low pay.
Science may have the automation but does society have a way to live with automation?
Hard work by my neighbor , Barb , to take down my birch tree. In the forest most work is done by machine and very little is touched by hand except for machine controls.
I am already in the loop for elderly drivers. When I turned 75 I had to pass a medical before I could renew my license. The medical was fairly superficial and easy to pass. Eyes were checked. Blood pressure taken. A few questions were asked and check marks placed where applicable. I have epilepsy and it is controlled by medication so I can drive. With that I was given a driver's license until I turn 80.
When I turn 80 I will only get a one year license and have to pass a medical each year to get it.
Okay that's the ticket to keep a license when your elderly. I would like regulations to be more stringent and have a driver's road test. In fact, I think drivers of all ages should have a road test.
So I can see down the road that someday I may lose my driving privileges.
But wait a minute! Technology may be riding to my rescue.
The technology is here to have cars move in traffic without a human driver. They've been tested.
When computer technology can successfully be applied to drive cars, the blind will be able to drive their own cars. We know that GPS is highly accurate. The GPS could easily be voice activated and controlled. Now GPS can give you voice instructions.Cars nowadays are really just one big sensor. What's the problem with a few more sensors which will steer the car in the right direction, read and obey all traffic signs? These cars would stay in the right lanes and sense all objects around them. These cars could even be programmed not to go over the speed limit. Drunks could get home as they wouldn't be driving the car.
.. and little old guys could still drive their cars long after they've lost their licenses. So once I lose my license the computer can take over for me and take me from place to place. Hey, I could even go on a long road trip. Come to think about it , they should include a sensor that indicates that the driver is still living!
