Toyota says it plans 400,000 factory robots without replacing workers

In short: Toyota says it plans to deploy up to 400,000 factory robots and that the goal is to work alongside people, not replace them.

What's going on

Toyota workers are already helping train humanoid robots on assembly lines, as the company prepares a major expansion of robots in its factories. Humanoid robots are machines shaped a bit like a person, with arms and hands, so they can use tools and work in spaces built for humans.

According to Nikkei Asia, Toyota Motor Group plans to start spending about $6.42 billion per year from 2028 to upgrade factories with this new robot workforce. Toyota aims to place 150,000 robots in its own vehicle plants and another 250,000 in group companies that make parts and materials.

Some of these robots include Toyota’s ELEY, a robot that rolls on wheels and uses two hands. Workers are teaching it tasks that need careful hand movements by wearing finger-shaped “jigs” (like training wheels for hands that help guide the robot’s fingers).

Toyota has about 18,000 veteran workers across 60 factories worldwide, including 11 manufacturing plants in the United States. A Toyota executive vice president, Hiroki Nakajima, told Nikkei Asia the company is aiming for “a world where robots coexist with humans, rather than replacing them.”

What to watch

More car companies are exploring humanoid robots, hoping they can eventually handle many different jobs instead of one fixed task. But big questions remain, including safety around people, how reliable these robots will be day to day, and whether they will be cheaper than hiring and keeping trained workers.

Source: Arstechnica