Are Robotics the Solutions to the Economic Crisis?
Traditional wisdom, as championed by Marshall Brain, holds that a robotics revolution will displace human workers leading to massive global unemployment. Mobile Robots, Inc. suggests another possibility. Perhaps focusing on robots could create an employment boom, pulling us out of the current global economic crisis. In a recent press release they say, "During the recessionary Eighties, thousands moved into high-paying new jobs in personal computers, building an industry that powered two decades of US economic growth. MobileRobots hopes the autonomous robot industry will behave similarly." To this end, they've announced a new RoboDeveloper discount program to get more robots into the hands of more individuals and companies. They believe this will "lower the barrier of entry into the robotics industry". Jeanne Dietsch, CEO of Mobile Robots, notes, "The government’s too busy bailing out banks and failing corporations to see that they would get far more jobs for the buck building new industries." Will the upcoming change-over to the more tech and science saavy Obama administration make an approach like this more feasible? Or is Marshall Brain right that robots lead to unemployment for humans? Read on for the full text of the Mobile Robots press release. More..

Random Robot Roundup
I'm back and starting the week with a dump of the editors mailbox. First up is an unusual Craigslist personals posting in search of "creative robot chicks"; but be careful girls, as you face a battle to the death if you're not of up this robot's standards (oh, and enjoy the ad while you can; CL ads tends to vanish pretty quickly). After battling robots in the street, you may need medical attention. A Reuters story has just the thing, all the latest in robotic medical technology. As you recover from your robotic surgery, you can listen to Waseda University's latest musical robot play the flute. The Swirling Brain sent some interesting things our way too, like a story about robotic sculptures that watch you watching them; and how about a new office chair that's a really a robot leg with a seat bolted onto it?; if sitting on a robot doesn't sound like fun, maybe you'd prefer Honda's new mini-exoskeleton that augments just your legs. We also heard about a public radio Marketplace interview with Richard Dooling, author of Rapture for the Geeks. Engineering News posted a short article on RoboCup robot soccer. Our friends at Instructables posted a new DIY telepresence robot. Over at io9, there's a story on the remake of Forbidden Planet - and that means we may be seeing Robby the Robot on the big screen again. Rog-a-matic noticed a cool NASA photo of the ISS robot at work. We've also got several from Roland Piquepaille, one on flying robots inspired by nature, another on low flying robot helicopters, and a new story on that 700 ton Caterpillar robot mining truck that we reported on a while back. Know any other robot news, gossip, or amazing facts we should report? Send 'em our way please. More..