[05
SEP 00] UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK NEWS
Firms Urged To Look To Future With Robots
Businesses
in Coventry and Warwickshire have so far proved immune to the lure of
robots, and risk missing out on an insight into the automated world.
A
special seminar is being held to encourage small firms to look at
using robots to make their businesses more efficient and competitive.
 But
so far companies have been reluctant to sign up, and organisers are
warning them that they risk losing out on a golden opportunity.
Ken
Young, of the British Automation and Robotics Association, which is
based at the University of Warwick, said the aim was to point out the
basic mistakes most companies make in their first automation project.
He
said many firms had not considered the potential uses of robots, and
despite booming sales, Britain still lags behind other industrial
nations.
Dr
Young said winning over the staff who would be using the machinery was
one of the major obstacle many companies had to clear.
“People
think that robots can lead to job losses. It doesn’t make them
redundant, it makes them more relied upon.
“Normally
it is failing to automate that loses jobs.”
Research
by BARA shows that price of robots is at an all-time low, and Dr Young
said there is a false perception that they are difficult to programme
and maintain.
He
said that quite complicated models can now cost as little as £20,000,
and:
“The
average video recorder is harder to programme.”
More
details about the seminar on 27 September, which is funded by the DTI
and is being held at the university campus, from the BARA website.
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