Robots are getting more and more advanced, and these automated machines have managed to become helpful to humans in many different ways.
We've heard all heard it a thousand times before - robots will be replacing human jobs in the future.
And it's true! As technology is advancing, robots are finally on the verge of becoming more useful and more and more complex.
I have already reported about an automated pizza delivery robot in the past, but now, a robot is even ringing up customers at pizza hut!
Meet Pepper - the robot that works for Pizza Hut stores in Asia and takes care of customers' orders!
The Pepper Robot
"Pepper" is an advanced humanoid robot created by Japanese company SoftBankRobotics.
He moves on 3 multi-directional wheels powered by 20 engines, with a maximum speed of 3km/h and 12 hours of battery life.
Pepper has a built-in tablet on his chest and there are 2 integrated HD cameras as well as one 3D camera that gives him the ability to see and analyze his surroundings.
He also comes with a built-in obstacle avoidance mechanism, and is connected to the Internet through his tablet.
Focus on emotions
The Pepper robot is focused on Emotions - it comes with in-built facial recognition that can identify principal emotions like joy, sadness, anger or surprise.
He can also interpret your mood by recognizing a smile, frown, non-verbal language like the angle of a head tilt, the tone of voice, and the lexical field the customer uses.
This way, Pepper can tell whether the customer he's serving is in a good or bad mood.
The latest creation from SoftBank Robotics, Pepper is the first robot designed to live with humans. Engaging and friendly, Pepper is much more than a robot, he’s a companion able to communicate with you through the most intuitive interface we know: voice, touch and emotions.
The Robot At Pizza Hut
"Pepper" is now one of the employees at selected Pizza Hut Locations across Asia.
Pizza Hut Asia has teamed up with Mastercard to make this possible, and the first robots have been on active duty since the beginning of the year.
Functions of "Pepper" at Pizza Hut include:
- Greet customers
- Provide information about products
- Customers can order on Pepper's tablet
- Integrated payment system: Masterpass by Mastercard
- Provide recommendations about products
"We are excited to welcome Pepper to the Pizza Hut family. Core to our digital transformation journey is the ability to make it easier for customers to engage, connect and transact with Pizza Hut. With an order-and-payment-enabled Pepper, customers can now come to expect personalized ordering at our stores, reduce wait time for carryout, and have a fun, frictionless user experience."-Vipul Chawla, managing director of Pizza Hut Restaurants Asia
Robots - a threat for jobs in the fast food industry ?
As I mentioned above, we've all heard a thousand times before that jobs are going to take over our jobs in the future.
But it seems like this is a particular threat for the fast food industry!
Digital ordering terminals have becoming very popular to speed up the order process for the customer and reduce labor costs. While robots haven't been tested in fast food restaurants in the US yet, Mc Donalds USA CEO Ed Rensi has stated that it will probably happen in the near future, warning that it replacing humans with robots will become more and more efficient, especially if the minimum wage is raised above $15..
He said:
"It's cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who's inefficient making $15 an hour bagging french fries. It's nonsense and it's very destructive and it's inflationary and it's going to cause a job loss across this country like you're not going to believe."
What do you think about "Pepper" the robot at Pizza Hut, and about the future of robots in general? Will they overtake minimum wage jobs soon?
© Sirwinchester
I understand the economics behind why a business will do this, but they will lose my business as long as there is another business that has real people.
I never use self check in the grocery store or Home Depot etc and when the employees try to get me to use it or ask my why I don't, the expression on their faces is always priceless when I tell them the longer I keep choosing them over automation, the longer they have a job.
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Yes, you definitely have a point. I can imagine their faces when you say that!
Although I believe automated processes in stores are the future and it's probably unavoidable that they will replace some jobs soon.
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I think you're definitely right, I just don't have to help it along when I can see the people and imagine their lives. The younger ones can adapt, but the older ones, especially the retirees...
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If you consider the costs associated with insurance, legal and productivity - especially with fast food workers - it really does make sense to automate from the point of view of the employer. There's just no other way.
It's unfortunate that many people will loose their jobs, but that is the nature of progress and innovation: the old has to die to make space for the new.
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This is what happens when you demand higher pay for a job that requires no skill or the skill a robot can do. If you want higher pay then provide value.
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Yeah, what happens when the robots only cost $10k? 5k?
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Exactly.
Of course there are still some things that can be done better by humans, for examply frying meat until it looks done, but simple tasks like taking orders can be automated easily.
Like you said, it's the future, it's unavoidable.
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With the "robot taking jobs away" example you confirm that it is so imperative to change the education system in most countries. We have to teach our kids to be creative and innovative, to learn what is important (and discard the rest) an seek for critical information, to work in groups, ... That is the only way to stay somewhat competitive against robots and AI.
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And then the cheaper bots working in the back .. 😂
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This is hilarious hahahah.
How NOT to program a robot!
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lol
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this is a Made in China robot
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Hmmmmmmmm
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Hi @Sirwinchester
I'm searching through the blogs discussing basic income today. Your blog appeared - maybe we'll all need Universal Basic Income when the robots arrive!
I signed up for Swift Demand last week on the premise that this free registration would provide me with a coin related to daily income.
I've blogged about it today if you wish to have a look. And if you are keen, maybe you can blog/share your referral link to your followers?
Have a good day
Asher
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Raising the minimum wage to $15/hour, does not make sense. The businesses will be forced to hire less people or fire people and throughout the country this will increase unemployment. Minimum wage jobs are meant as a stepping stone. You gain some skills and move on. It is not a lifetime career. So, good for these companies for buying robots. They will not have to deal with inefficient employees and the customer will probably get better service and properly cooked food. And as for the people who got fired or were never hired, because of the increased minimum wage? They will have to learn a useful skill or wind up like these people!
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Yes, I agree.. minimum wage jobs are not meant forever.
And you're right, $15/hour will only result in less people receiving that wage, and more people having no job at all.
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I found something crazy about Pepper, too. Wrote a post yesterday about a robot dressed in monk's robes and performing the last rites at Buddhist funerals. Nothing sacred left in this world.
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Wow how interesting, I upvoted your post! Thanks for sharing, I can't believe robots are being used for religious services now too.
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I don't mind if Pizza Hut has Robots because I will not eat that GMO Pizza anyway.........
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Informative read. I have AMPed the Pepper-Pizza Hut video.
https://l.wildspark.me:8000/BkxYSGzGYW
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"I didn't mess that order up, Pepper did!", I can hear it now!
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It still feels crazy awkward talking to a robot instead of a person though
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Yes robots (automation in general) are a big threat for jobs. It is amazing how many people argue against this premise citing that the mantra always has been that tech will take jobs. Well, here is a fact: technology never advanced at the pace it is going and taking jobs in such a short period of time. It was this realization that made me a proponent of universal basic income. We are going to have to establish a baseline standard of living for most people.
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Absolute BS. We need to stop the hysteria. I started college at the dawn of the internet and I remember the same alarmist rhetoric about the internet and jobs. People will move into other jobs related to robots. People at the bottom will have to upgrade their skills. Thanks to the internet and video technology it is easier than ever for people to learn things. I cant tell you how many home projects were made possible because of YouTube.
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That argument doesnt hold water for a multitude of reasons.
Factory jobs were eliminated over a 30 year period. Trump got elected by telling all those displaced workers that he would bring their jobs back (he wont). Well, guess what, the white collar crowd doesnt have 30 years. In this age, we see the equivalent of 30 years of change in what, 3 maybe 5 years. So tell me, what are you going to do with all those paralegals, car sales people, retail workers, etc.. most of whom arent even aware that their jobs are going to be eliminated in droves? This is a topic you dont hear political leadership on either side of the aisle talking about. Do you really think they are going to retrain themselves? Hell, I am not sure the average person is capable of acquiring the skills for tomorrow even if you did give them access to the education which isnt going to happen because, again, outside a few people like Elon Musk or Bill Gates, this isnt being talked about.
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They have automatic ordering at McDonalds here except you still have to lineup like a tard to get your food. If you go into a McDonalds and watch grandma try to order a McPoison, you will see why this won't replace human workers for quite some time.
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Good point, thanks for mentioning that - not everyone is as confident with using technology as our generation is.
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Chick-Fil-A has the best mobile ordering. You order on the app and when you get close to the restaurant you click I am here and pay. You can either get your food brought out curbside or you go to the Mobile pickup line. I am in and out in 5 minutes or less.
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Many years I worked as a manager in many multinational companies, of all the work that I had to perform as manager, but the most complicated was the human resource. They were increasingly unionized and protestant, demanded higher wages for less work, I am not surprised by such a policy in the companies.
It's unfortunate but that's the way things are
Excellent information dear friend @sirwinchester, thank you very much.
I wish you a great week
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While I like the whole concept of using robots, I personally feelusing them in the food industry can either help or hurt if the industry. While it will create a consistency with how the food is prepared and served, a robot will not be able to tell if the product is going bad due to its expiration date.
#circleoffriends
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You will still need people working with the robots.
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automation is already here and will go way any time soon.
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This post has been ranked within the top 10 most undervalued posts in the second half of Aug 28. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $79.72 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Aug 28 - Part II. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
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NO BODY CAN STOP PROGRESS!!!
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I think the transition from people to robots is going to be difficult for a while. I like the general idea of having lots of these types of jobs be automated if there's a way for the people who would normally get these jobs to find income from somewhere else but it's not going to happen that way. Maybe the world will eventually all be automated and people can focus on education and using their creativity and improving the world instead of wasting away their lives working for the man. I look forward to that day :) But ya, the time it takes to get to that place will be very difficult.
That being said! I think Pepper is really cool! Artificial intelligence fascinates me. Thanks for posting :)
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I agree.
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Good post brother, I love your blog, I am always aware of your information, greetings. @ Joserc.vzla
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Thank you for the compliment, I appreciate it!
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This is what happens when people push for $15/hour minimum wage. I think we will see more and more of this happening all over the fast-food realm (McDonalds is already on the bandwagon). Basic economics in my opinion.
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Hi @sirwinchester this is a very informative post of how technology is advancing through artificial intelligence,personally been an information technology student i personally believe that robots will take over minimal wage jobs in the near future because technology is growing & advancing at a very high rate everyday that passes in our life,so my brother don't be shocked when we will be having other earthly citizens by the name Robots,lastly keep posting such post thank you sir once again.
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Nice post boss @sirwinchester and i Like post you.
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good post
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