No, maybe something else, I have a vague memory; but velcro was devised by a frenchman - the "cro" is french as in crochet - who was inspired by burrs on his socks after wandering inv the fields.
-Pete On Sun, 10 Mar 2013, Ray Harrell wrote: > Wasn't the Gecko the model for velcro at NASA? > > REH > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of pete > Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2013 11:22 PM > To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION > Subject: Re: [Futurework] FW: New robots in the workplace: Job creators or > job terminators? > > > Yes, or maybe slug. > > -Pete > > On Sun, 10 Mar 2013, Ray Harrell wrote: > > > gecko? > > > > REH > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of pete > > Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2013 11:07 PM > > To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION > > Subject: Re: [Futurework] FW: New robots in the workplace: Job > > creators or job terminators? > > > > > > Grrr. People being sloppy. "a spider-like robot that climbs and > > maintains wind turbines". Really? > > > > No. From a single reporter's story, archived at gizmodo but only it > > seems on .com.au and .co.uk, we have an article from nine months ago > > about a "spiderman-like" wall climbing robot. There is nothing spider, > > or indeed spiderman -like about this robot except the reporter, who, > > it turns out, seems to have a thing about spiderman, and like Jane > > Siberry's dog, everything reminds her of spiderman, as becomes evident > > if you google "leslie horn" > > and "spiderman". > > > > So some hack reads this, without digging further, and truncates > > spiderman to spider for the current article. In fact, the robot is > > described and pictured in the original press release from GE, which Ms > > Horn's Gizmodo article links to, here: > > > > http://www.gereports.com/go-go-gadget/ > > > > and the word "spider" is conspicuous by its absense. The robot has > > soft flexible caterpillar treads, which surround it forming a soft > > seal, and a vacuum motor pulls a vacuum in the space thus formed under > > the robot's "belly". It relies on a relatively smooth surface and an > > umbilical to power the pump. Oh, yes, and this robot does not > > "maintain" anything. It uses a video camera to do inspections. A > > modded version may use radar to ping the blades for defects, but it has no > capacity to do any sort of repair. > > > > Another example of the wretched quality of modern reporting, where a > > sensational lie seems to always be preferred to the truth when it can > > garner more eyes, and thus more pennies, for the website. > > > > -Pete > > > > > > > > > From: Portside labor [[email protected]] > > > Sent: Friday, March 08, 2013 8:20 PM > > > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: New robots in the workplace: Job creators or job terminators? > > > > > > > > > <http://portside.org> <http://portside.org/> > > > <http://portside.org> Portside Labor > > > > > > <http://portside.org/2013-03-08/new-robots-workplace-job-creators-or > > > -j > > > ob-ter > > > minators> New robots in the workplace: Job creators or job terminators? > > > > > > Cecilia Kang > > > March 8, 2013 > > > Washington Post > > > <http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/new-robots-in-the > > > -w > > > orkpla > > > ce-job-creators-or-job-terminators/2013/03/06/a80b8f34-746c-11e2-8f8 > > > 4- > > > 3e4b51 > > > 3b1a13_story.html> > > > > > > > > > > > > Today's robots can do far more than their primitive, single-task > > ancestors. > > > And there is a broad debate among economists, labor experts and > > > companies over whether the trend will add good-paying jobs to the > > > economy by helping firms run more efficiently or simply leave human > > workers out in the cold. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > BOSTON - At MIT, a management robot is learning to run a factory and > > > give orders to artificial co-workers, and a BakeBot robot is reading > > > recipes, whipping together butter, sugar and flour and putting the > > > cookie mix in the oven. At the University of California at Berkeley, > > > a robot can do laundry and then neatly fold -T-shirts and towels. > > > > > > A wave of new robots, affordable and capable of accomplishing > > > advanced human tasks, is being aimed at jobs that are high in the > > > workforce > > hierarchy. > > > > > > The consequences of this leap in technology loom large for the > > > American worker - and perhaps their managers, too. Back in the > > > 1980s, when automated spray-painting and welding machines took hold > > > in factories, some on the assembly line quickly discovered they had > > > become > > obsolete. > > > > > > Today's robots can do far more than their primitive, single-task > > ancestors. > > > And there is a broad debate among economists, labor experts and > > > companies over whether the trend will add good-paying jobs to the > > > economy by helping firms run more efficiently or simply leave human > > workers out in the cold. > > and maintain> > > > "We've reached a tipping point in robotics," said Daniela Rus, > > > director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence > > > Laboratory. The possibility is to run a factory, she added, "all > > > while you > > are sleeping." > > > > > > U.S. firms have already begun deploying some of these newer robots. > > > General Electric has developed spiderlike robots to climb and > > > maintain tall wind turbines. Kiva Systems, a company bought by > > > Amazon.com, has orange ottoman-shaped robots that sweep across > > > warehouse floors, pull products off shelves and deliver them for > > > packaging. Some hospitals have begun employing robots that can move > > > room to room to dispense medicines to patients or deliver the advice > > > of a doctor who is not on > > site. > > > > > > Many companies see such automation as the key to cutting costs and > > > staying competitive. Sales of industrial robots rose 38 percent > > > between 2010 and > > > 2012 and are poised to bring in record revenue this year, according > > > to industry analyst Dan Kara. > > > > > > CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMPLETE ARTICLE > > > <http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/new-robots-in-the > > > -w > > > orkpla > > > ce-job-creators-or-job-terminators/2013/03/06/a80b8f34-746c-11e2-8f8 > > > 4- > > > 3e4b51 > > > 3b1a13_print.html> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > <http://portside.org/2013-03-08/new-robots-workplace-job-creators-or > > > -j > > > ob-ter > > > minators> VIEW ONLINE > > > <http://portside.org/print/node/1959> PRINT > > > <http://portside.org/subscribe> SUBSCRIBE <http://portside.org> > > > VISIT PORTSIDE.ORG <https://twitter.com/portsideorg> TWITTER > > > <https://facebook.com/Portside.PortsideLabor> FACEBOOK > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Portside aims to provide material of interest to people on the left > > > that will help them to interpret the world and to change it. > > > > > > > > > > > > <http://portside.org/submit> Submit via web > > > > > > <mailto:[email protected]> Submit via email > > > > > > <http://portside.org/faq> Frequenty asked questions > > > > > > <http://portside.org/subscribe> Manage subscription > > > > > > <http://portside.org/archive> Search Portside archives > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe, click here > > > <http://lists.portside.org/cgi-bin/listserv/wa?TICKET=NzM0OTY1IGxlcm > > > 5l > > > ckBVV0 FURVJMT08uQ0EgUE9SVFNJREVMQUJPUk/o8EbTH3pK&c=SIGNOFF> . > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Futurework mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Futurework mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
