v3.9: Bot safe for work

In our latest episode, we look at the risks of working with robots – and it’s not just that they might steal your job. 🤖

For this discussion, we were joined by Tom Deegan, a health and safety consultant at Mackin EHS who has become the go-to guy for risk assessments in workplaces introducing robotics and cybernetics, ensuring that the bots behave and everyone is safe.

Tom gave us a run-down of the safety implications of working alongside all sorts of autonomous machines, from humanoid robots to self-driving vehicles. We even got talking about battery safety and the realities of electrification and sustainability. 🪫

As Jenny notes, robots have been the MVP of season three of For Tech’s Sake, having come up almost as often as AI. And one of our new favourites is ANYmal, who’s pretty nifty at parkour.

Something about the pet-like robots makes them less disconcerting than the uncanny-valley-dwelling humanoids, but if we were to adopt a bot we’d prefer a farting Nicobo than a maggoty Maah. 🫣

But we are also at risk of these fun and freaky bots being more fad than function. Analysis by Goldman Sachs, which predicts a $38 billion market for humanoid robots, envisions them as a “must-have device, not unlike smartphones or EVs”. The problem with turning complex technology into a consumer trend is the waste it creates – which is already happening while these things are in development. For example, Amazon is bricking $2,350 Astro for Business robots just 10 months after their release, not giving any option to repurpose it as a domestic Astro (for which it still has no clear roadmap). 🧱

So we’re at least glad that Tom is also a voice for sustainability in robotics. You can read more on his work on SiliconRepublic.com and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Want to hear more?

If you enjoyed this episode of For Tech’s Sake then there are others you may also want to check out, as good companions to some of the themes discussed here:

🦾 We discussed robotics in healthcare with Niamh Donnelly (Akara Robotics) and for HeadStuff+ members only, we ran through a range of robots on the market today

🚗 Also for subscribers only, we had an in-depth chat about the challenges facing self-driving cars and why they’re more likely to be deployed in controlled environments than on our roads

🔋 And in the main feed we’ve covered batteries before with scientist Dr Valeria Nico

💸 And for more on veblen goods and how tech has disrupted how we value things – even money – check out our chat with Tokens author Rachel O’Dwyer

Next week, we’ll have a special bonus episode exclusive for HeadStuff+ Community members, so if you really want to hear from us every week, you’ll have to become a member here.