XPost: comp.os.linux.misc   
   From: bowman@montana.com   
      
   On Sun, 20 Jul 2025 20:43:17 -0400, Paul wrote:   
      
   > There are people on USENET, who have more than one robot, and they're   
   > first generation and just awful. This is one of the disadvantages of   
   > being an early adopter. The first generation robots, a lot of them were   
   > "greeters", that could barely bring a tray to your table with your meal.   
   > And they weren't cheap either.   
      
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unimate   
      
   The Unimaetes were my first exposure. The GE Somersworth watt-hour meter   
   plant used the on the die cast meter base line. They would insert magnets,   
   wait for the machine to cycle, grab the part when the die opened, knock   
   off the sprue, and toss the base in a bin. I wouldn't want one pouring my   
   coffee; they were big, fast, and did not deviate from their programmed   
   route.   
      
   That was the early '70s. We were building automated presses for the   
   phenolic molding operation and I would take a break to watch them when we   
   were installing the equipment. I saw the future. Then came the oil   
   embargo, the subsequent sending manufacturing to third world countries,   
   and the demise of the US machine tool industry.   
      
   I don't know if the decay is reversible but it would be nice to see the US   
   become something more than baristas and pea pickers again.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)