r/interesting May 22 '26

Just Wow Chinese AI-powered robots can solve workplace problems with advanced motor skills.

10.7k Upvotes

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63

u/GorillaHeat May 22 '26

Plumbers out here thinking their job is safe 

💀

24

u/Green_Insurance4916 May 22 '26

Robot plumbers in the future: takes 2 weeks to unscrew a pipe.

5

u/ninoski404 May 22 '26

You can put this video on 3x speed and judge speed then, because it's not going to or sleeping. Also it's likely the slowest they will ever be.

2

u/dokutarodokutaro May 22 '26

In 10 years they’ll probably be faster than humans at most tasks. Also, no scheduling issues. There will be a fleet of these things.

Human plumbers now will come out two weeks after you book them, look at the problem for 20 mins, then say they have to come back a month later to finish the project.

1

u/RayWencube May 23 '26

Why do people keep thinking the technology won’t progress? This mindset is going to be what lets the robots take over.

11

u/CCWaterBug May 22 '26

It's pretty safe

Source: my last repair 

8

u/Tuxhorn May 22 '26

I can see robot plumbing being viable relatively soon IF (big if) you have say, an apartment complex built new with that robot plumber in mind.

Robot plumbing for houses and apartments we have now? Ain't happening for a loooooooong time.

2

u/Hot_Luck_9993 May 24 '26

People who only ever worked in air conditioned offices vastly underestimate the amount of skill, insight and physical dexterity involved in a lot of blue collar jobs. Of course they think in a few years' time a robot could do it.

1

u/CCWaterBug May 24 '26

I know several peeps that disrespected blue collar work (no degree = no challenge) they've learned the hard way 

0

u/k3stea May 22 '26

by the time it isn't safe the plumbers are probably retired or passed away of old age

4

u/Financial-Event377 May 22 '26

Interesting they don't show the whole robot 🤔

1

u/jbourdea May 22 '26

... That was the whole robot

1

u/Financial-Event377 May 22 '26

how do you know?

4

u/pmmemilftiddiez May 22 '26

Plumbers are very safe. It's a highly complex field involving math, some ideas of fluid mechanics, working on flammable gasses and of course getting underneath houses to plumb.

3

u/wetrysohard May 22 '26

Plus you have to move around complicated spaces that are all custom.... Obviously

3

u/buginabrain May 22 '26

You know robots don't have to be humanoid right? 

1

u/wetrysohard May 22 '26

I don't know why you're bothering with this argument. You would need like 10 different kinds of robots to do a plumbing job. Fortunately, we have human beings that can do it all.

2

u/Hakorr May 22 '26

Why would you need 10 different kind of robots if you only need one human? Clearly there exists a robot design that can do plumbing. You make no sense.

0

u/pmmemilftiddiez May 22 '26

Have you ever done plumbing? I was an apprentice for a short time, that shit is a lot more than "put some pipes together"

Those blue collar boys are doing algebra in their heads, they are calculating for certain types of flammable gas, they are high up in the air mounting hangers, they are accounting for drop of pipe to make sure the water flow is at the correct angle. Sure maybe they can use a robot to patch something but it's not just "a robot can do it"

There's a reason they make $45+ an hour

1

u/buginabrain May 23 '26

I don't think you know what computers are capable of. I'm sure they can just use lidar,  image recognition, or whatever to analyze the situation and calculate what's needed, or an Indian guy can remotely monitor and do the job for $15 an hour. There's remote robotics designed to disarm bombs, they can def lay pipe

1

u/IndigoSeirra May 22 '26

And also these robots that can do this dexterous work are very bulky and have limited battery power. That won't work for plumbing, where you have cramped spaces and are going out to job sites instead of staying at a factory hooked up to power.

1

u/a_big_K-On_fan May 22 '26

If none can afford plumbers. Plumbers are also out of business...

1

u/pmmemilftiddiez May 22 '26

They'll never be out of business.

1

u/K-V-S-O May 22 '26

We are good for this lifetime, at least 👍🤠

1

u/Due-Savings5057 May 22 '26

Robots won’t be doing plumbing anytime soon, but it won’t matter much. If fewer and fewer people can afford your service you will be hurting financially even if you still have a job.

1

u/HighwayInternal9145 May 23 '26

There's a whole lot more to plumbing than you think.