Why pay a person to do a robot’s job?
In Tokyo, Japan construction sites utilize human-like robots to wave traffic and pedestrians away from potential danger.
Is it me, or is that thing just plain creepy?
There are various permutations of the robot flagman, including this more cartoony version:
Cute, yeah? He looks far less imposing than the first example - more like a kid’s robot instead of a sex toy dressed up for construction duty.
Then there’s the crazy “holographic” flagman:
In this case, it’s easy to see why they don’t use a real guy. He would be exhausted after just a few minutes of frantically waving that flag around.
Though I’m not in favor of taking jobs away from flesh-and-blood human beings, I have to admit that I like the idea of an automated flagman. Not only does it tirelessly warn people of the potential hazards of a construction zone, but it also alleviates any danger to a live worker.
I wish the construction site that ripped up my van had one of these things. It would have saved me a ton of trouble – and the company a ton of money.
by John Barker
