*********************************
There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
*********************************
Impact of the Factory of the Future - A Retrospective
Automation has contributed to sharply increased productivity in virtually all industrial processes, first in developed countries, but now in places with low labor costs as well. What has industrial automation brought society, and where is it going? This talk reviews past expectations of automation, what has flourished and what has fizzled, and what was totally unexpected. Thoughts on the future are offered, amid the backdrop of pervasive computing and communication resources, a rapidly increasing middle class, the skills gap for advanced manufacturing, a heightened interest in sustainability, and the sharing economy.
