POCASSET, MA—Hydroid Inc., a maker of autonomous underwater vehicles, has begun constructing a new assembly plant and research facility here. The company will hire at least 21 new workers next year.
Automation is wonderfully economical—except when it’s not. Time and again, I’ve seen smart engineers make dumb automation decisions, some of them ruinous.
BEIJING—Demand for industrial robots in China is predicted to hit 32,000 units by 2014, making the manufacturing giant the world’s largest robotics consumer.