On Playground Assembly

Several people helping assemble the HCS playground equipment on the 12th and 19th (links to both day's pictures here) commented that it was repetitive and awkward. True enough; it was the sort of thing that ought to be done by a robot. So I look at assembly line robotics on YouTube:

Well, clearly we're not quite ready to assemble playground equipment on site. Engine assembly we can do; there's no obstacle in the complexity or mechanical force (or repetitiveness, or awkwardness). But flexibility is a problem. Still, consider last month's "Baxter" announcement by Rethink Robotics, as in Rethink Robotics: Meet Baxter - YouTube

Meet Baxter, a revolutionary new category of Robot from Rethink Robotics that is capable of applying common sense behavior to manufacturing environments. Affordably priced, versatile and safe enough to work shoulder-to-shoulder with people, Baxter robots redefine how small, mid-size and large domestic manufacturers use automation to compete with manufacturers in low-cost regions of the world.

We're getting there; repetitive assembly will all be done by robots, by and by.
Or then again, maybe not.