Robot technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, as industrial robot arms that performed repetitive tasks have given way to highly sophisticated automated systems.
According to Jeanne Dietsch, CEO of MobileRobots, robots no longer need Ph.D. programmers to perform a function. What they do need, however, are capable technicians.
MobileRobots' technician training curriculum will place a heavy emphasis on performing facility assessments, which involves programming the robot to understand the building's floor plan, where the robot is allowed, where it's not allowed, and, for instance, where the pickup and drop-off points are or the location of the docking station.
"As robot sales increase exponentially, the number of people that are needed to do assessments like this is going to rise as well," says Dietsch.
William Kennedy, author of the training curriculum, says the shift in how robots are used demands a larger workforce familiar with the technology.
"Students need jobs with a future, and the mobile robot industry need technicians," says Kennedy. "Tens of thousands of people make a living customizing and servicing PCs and software. Unless technical schools train people to customize and service robots, the robot revolution won't happen."
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