tesla is a cautionary tale of too much automation, too soon

When Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced last year that it plans to boost production of the company\'s ambitious new Model 3 electric sedan, he warned that \"hell will be created in the coming months.
But after nearly a year of ups and downs, the automaker finally reached a key goal by the end of June: to produce 5,000 3sin a week.
Once Tesla can make enough sales, the Model 3 should be more affordable than other Tesla models.
People believe that a quality-
Electric cars in the market will eventually help Tesla make a profit.
But first, the company has to prove to buyers that shareholders can build them faster, more reliable and more in quantity.
Tesla\'s solution?
No more automation. more humans.
All the claims that robots make people out of work are not all ready to be completely disrupted in every workplace.
While more automation is sure to come, it depends on the job where you will find it today. \"What [robots]
\"I\'m not very good at anything that\'s closer to what we can do with our hands,\" said Angela schrieger, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto who specializes in robotics . \".
Most robots used today are often unable to perform fine operations and complex movements, she notes.
\"We obviously can\'t replicate in any way what the human hand can do.
\"The trouble with fluffy Musk makes it difficult for us to understand this.
According to the New York Times, Tesla originally designed an assembly line for Model 3, which has more than 1,000 robots and other assembly machines.
Not everyone is working as expected --
To the point where the company built a brand new production line under a huge tent outside the factory --
It is reported that Tesla now plans to hire about 400 employees a week to maintain production speed.
\"Some things are very good --
Suitable for manual operation and something very good
Suitable for automated operation-
Musk said at the company\'s first meeting: \"The two should not be confused.
The company also said that the \"vast majority\" of Tesla\'s production systems are still automated.
But, he admits, \"We \'ve done too much on automation, automating something really stupid.
Musk, for example, describes a robot designed to place noise --
Suppress fiberglass fluff at the top of the battery pack.
\"The machine is not good at picking up fluff,\" he said . \".
\"The human hand is doing better in this regard.
\"Part of the challenge is that the types of robots used in warehouses, factories and assembly lines today are usually very stupid,\" Schoellig said.
Most people have to program manually to do what you need them to do.
While some companies like Tesla are trying to inject greater wisdom and awareness into their robots, schoellig said, more complex situations will only increase the likelihood that robots will not always perform tasks precisely or accurately as you imagine.
This is what Tesla found.
In addition to Tesla, the suction cups for hand, most of the automation designs currently used in factories and warehouses are designed to replace more basic tasks.
In a warehouse belonging to the United States. K.
Grocery chain Ocado, more than 1,000 wheeled robots in pre-defined grid.
In Amazon\'s warehouse.
Wheeled robots carry goods between aisles, while humans pack them.
Even in Tesla\'s factory, robots previously programmed as Bolt and wire car seats now just move the seats in place: humans do the job.
\"If you want to make very reliable and robust robots, you don\'t have to spend half the time repairing them, which is still true,\" says schoellig, \"you\'re still trying to make them as mechanically simple as possible. \".
She points out that Amazon faces the challenge of selecting products every year, in which teams compete to see who can make robots that are best at identifying and classifying products. (
Because Amazon wants to automate it eventually, too).
The winner last year?
Robot arm with suction cup at the end.
This is a simple concept that you can get from people who are working properly, but can still pick up things.
Tesla shut down the Model 3 component again to solve the bottleneck of the future car factory. Of course, the comments made by Tesla\'s Musk during the conference may cause human surprise, and it is not long to simply throw more people on this issue.
Term solution.
Tesla employees interviewed by Reuters sound cautious about the company\'s ability to keep up with its current operating speed.
That is to say, the ongoing focus on health and safety by current and previous employees makes no sense.
But Musk believes they can go further and reach 6,000 vehicles per week in July, eventually fulfilling Tesla\'s promise to produce 20,000 Model 3 per month last year.
This is assuming it can produce 6,000 or more cars a week in a row.
This is where robots can help.
Just maybe not as much as Tesla thinks now.