Comments on: Hot or Not? Half A Bricklayer http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:39:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Dan Wayne http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-344779 Dan Wayne Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:13:45 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-344779 I've only been working in the business for a little over ten years, but I see the writing on the wall. Though most of the work that I now do is skilled enough that the machines probably won't be a real threat until I retire, it's impossible for me to ignore. I've always been able to find work because I'm very good at what I do, and can sell myself effectively. But as Michael P. notes above, customers will vote with their wallets. And these machines are starting to show that they can do the routine, monotonous parts of jobs with speed and precision. Many big jobs have lots of routine, monotonous parts. I keep telling myself that I shouldn't worry. I'll always be better than a machine, but who am I kidding, really? The number of jobs where I'll be better than a machine are now going to steadily be shrinking. What I've decided to do in the next year or so is move away from this business. I'm in real good physical shape and have a great deal of endurance, so I'm going to move into the adult film industry. I may not last more than six or eight years, but it should be enough to finance what's needed to launch another career. I’ve only been working in the business for a little over ten years, but I see the writing on the wall. Though most of the work that I now do is skilled enough that the machines probably won’t be a real threat until I retire, it’s impossible for me to ignore.

I’ve always been able to find work because I’m very good at what I do, and can sell myself effectively. But as Michael P. notes above, customers will vote with their wallets. And these machines are starting to show that they can do the routine, monotonous parts of jobs with speed and precision. Many big jobs have lots of routine, monotonous parts.

I keep telling myself that I shouldn’t worry. I’ll always be better than a machine, but who am I kidding, really? The number of jobs where I’ll be better than a machine are now going to steadily be shrinking.

What I’ve decided to do in the next year or so is move away from this business. I’m in real good physical shape and have a great deal of endurance, so I’m going to move into the adult film industry. I may not last more than six or eight years, but it should be enough to finance what’s needed to launch another career.

]]> By: Michael Pendleton http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-331427 Michael Pendleton Tue, 27 May 2008 20:54:39 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-331427 Speaking as someone who has been trying to get a cabinetmaking shop off the ground, after being laid-off by a company switching from hand assembly to CNC-based production, I can tell you that the robots are hot on our tails! Their progress may be slow, but it never stops... My feeling is that as an individual, there is no way for me to stand in front of this slow moving landslide. I can either go for high-end, hand built custom work, or I can act as a middleman and installer of the products of the machines. It's not that customers *prefer* a robot, but they vote with their wallets, time after time, and if a house can cost thousands less because it used a robot bricklayer, then those robots are going to be everywhere and bricklayers will be looking down the same barrel that I am! This is what I repeat to myself: "The last person who fought the machines and won was John Henry, and that was over a hundred years ago and he died trying. I am not John Henry!" Speaking as someone who has been trying to get a cabinetmaking shop off the ground, after being laid-off by a company switching from hand assembly to CNC-based production, I can tell you that the robots are hot on our tails! Their progress may be slow, but it never stops…

My feeling is that as an individual, there is no way for me to stand in front of this slow moving landslide. I can either go for high-end, hand built custom work, or I can act as a middleman and installer of the products of the machines. It’s not that customers *prefer* a robot, but they vote with their wallets, time after time, and if a house can cost thousands less because it used a robot bricklayer, then those robots are going to be everywhere and bricklayers will be looking down the same barrel that I am!

This is what I repeat to myself: “The last person who fought the machines and won was John Henry, and that was over a hundred years ago and he died trying. I am not John Henry!”

]]> By: Cole Goldstein http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-328974 Cole Goldstein Sun, 25 May 2008 16:25:33 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-328974 Personally I don't like the idea of a robotic bricklayer. I think it takes jobs away that should be in the hands of hard working people and it destroys the architectual value of a good brick job. If you have a robot do the job everything is too precise. You need to have those little inconsistencies to make the job beautiful. A prime example is paintings. The masters like Raphael were the masters and you can see all of their brush strokes. By saying the robot is just as good is saying that a digital printout is just as good as the original Raphael's School of Athens painting. It just does not compute. That's just my opinion... Personally I don’t like the idea of a robotic bricklayer. I think it takes jobs away that should be in the hands of hard working people and it destroys the architectual value of a good brick job. If you have a robot do the job everything is too precise. You need to have those little inconsistencies to make the job beautiful. A prime example is paintings. The masters like Raphael were the masters and you can see all of their brush strokes. By saying the robot is just as good is saying that a digital printout is just as good as the original Raphael’s School of Athens painting. It just does not compute. That’s just my opinion…

]]> By: J.R. Bluett http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-328243 J.R. Bluett Sat, 24 May 2008 23:55:39 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-328243 Not sure about Japan, but I didn't find nearly as much information about this kind of automation as I would be interested to read. I will certainly post on it again as I find more. Not sure about Japan, but I didn’t find nearly as much information about this kind of automation as I would be interested to read. I will certainly post on it again as I find more.

]]> By: Steve French http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-326949 Steve French Fri, 23 May 2008 20:27:25 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-326949 It's a step in the right direction in any case, assuming bricks hang on for another 20 years, which is probably a safe assumption. Aren't the Japanese doing a lot along these lines? It’s a step in the right direction in any case, assuming bricks hang on for another 20 years, which is probably a safe assumption.

Aren’t the Japanese doing a lot along these lines?

]]> By: Ash http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-326390 Ash Fri, 23 May 2008 08:25:25 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-326390 A robot *brick* laying machine.. Not. Bricks are made small and light to be easily manipulated by human hands, use a messy slow-drying mortar-based assembly system, and you have to use thousands of them on even a small build. A robot that assembles huge interlocking prefab wall segments is where it's at, because although they're fast to go up, they're a real PITA for a team of humans to crane and crowbar into position. Many hours and many fingers would be saved. A robot *brick* laying machine.. Not.
Bricks are made small and light to be easily manipulated by human hands, use a messy slow-drying mortar-based assembly system, and you have to use thousands of them on even a small build.
A robot that assembles huge interlocking prefab wall segments is where it’s at, because although they’re fast to go up, they’re a real PITA for a team of humans to crane and crowbar into position. Many hours and many fingers would be saved.

]]> By: PutnamEco http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-326182 PutnamEco Fri, 23 May 2008 02:55:26 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-326182 I think the "printer" style robotic house builders show the most promise. www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=57 I think the “printer” style robotic house builders show the most promise.

http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=57

]]> By: mike t http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325950 mike t Thu, 22 May 2008 21:00:47 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325950 In all seriousness automate sheetrocking. In all seriousness automate sheetrocking.

]]> By: mike t http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325948 mike t Thu, 22 May 2008 20:59:12 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325948 Bah, we''ll all live in monolithic domes by then and bricks will be obsolete!!! maybe!.. Bah, we”ll all live in monolithic domes by then and bricks will be obsolete!!!

maybe!..

]]> By: Jim K. http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325927 Jim K. Thu, 22 May 2008 20:27:46 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325927 I for one welcome our new robot overlords! I for one welcome our new robot overlords!

]]> By: Erin http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325894 Erin Thu, 22 May 2008 19:50:35 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325894 Maybe hot. One thing construction sites all seem to have in common is dirt - whereas picking robots all seem to work in temperature and humidity-controlled environments. I think you'd have some trouble with dirt , humidity, etc. affecting the more delicate machinery required to simulate the finer manipulation. Once you address that, you have to consider that the first few generations of robotics on any production/manufacturing/assembly job do require more involvment and supervision by the technician. I think it's a few years off yet, but I'll be happy to see it. Even though masonry might seem less risky than a lot of construction gigs, my brother was killed from a fall at a masonry job. I'm all for anything that offloads the risk to machines rather than people. Maybe hot. One thing construction sites all seem to have in common is dirt - whereas picking robots all seem to work in temperature and humidity-controlled environments. I think you’d have some trouble with dirt , humidity, etc. affecting the more delicate machinery required to simulate the finer manipulation. Once you address that, you have to consider that the first few generations of robotics on any production/manufacturing/assembly job do require more involvment and supervision by the technician. I think it’s a few years off yet, but I’ll be happy to see it. Even though masonry might seem less risky than a lot of construction gigs, my brother was killed from a fall at a masonry job. I’m all for anything that offloads the risk to machines rather than people.

]]> By: Fredex http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325847 Fredex Thu, 22 May 2008 18:42:25 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/22/hot-or-not-half-a-bricklayer/#comment-325847 Look at what is done with pick and place robots. Those are the guys that stick all the components into PC boards and do other kinds of assembly work. A bricklayer robot would be a scaled up version. Look at what is done with pick and place robots. Those are the guys that stick all the components into PC boards and do other kinds of assembly work. A bricklayer robot would be a scaled up version.

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