Robots to build Heatherwick and BIG's proposed Google HQ

[Jesus Malverde]

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/pictures/606x422fitpad[0]/0/1/9/1424019_Craybots.jpg

An army of robot-crane hybrids will be assembled to build Google’s new headquarters in California, according to the latest design papers posted by the IT giant

Mock-ups of the so-called ‘crabots’ are featured in lengthy planning documents submitted to the City of Mountain View Council in Silicon Valley and seen by AJ this week.

As revealed last July, the tech firm has commissioned Thomas Heatherwick, BIG and engineers AKTII to design its extended HQ, which will house 20,000 Google staff.

The ‘crabots’ are described in the documents as a mash-up of flexible crane and robotic machine.

Much of the internal design of Google’s new HQ will depend on the success of the robots which will roam under the gigantic canopies of the sprawling site and lift and shift pre-fabricated components, furniture and services.

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/daily-news/robots-to-build-heatherwick-and-bigs-proposed-google-hq/8682076.article

No word if the robots will be unionized or pay into the social security fund.

[postulater]

1. Obsolete biological units no longer need

to be fed or housed.

They will be available for recycling outside the palace gates.

[PeaceNikki]

2. People still need to program and support software and build and support the hardware

[Jesus Malverde]

3. The ratio of work to people will continue to decline..nt

[PeaceNikki]

4. Or be shifted. Look, these are high-tech cranes. They are not replacing all of the construction

workers. They are a tool to lift heavy things that people cannot lift without equipment.

[postulater]

5. In a sane state the displaced workers or at least a new generation

would be educated to perform the programming.

I fear that cuts in education, like threatened here in Wisconsin, will not allow this to happen.

[PeaceNikki]

6. Agreed. But the robots in this story are displacing other equipment, not people.

But I agree 100% that education is important. Want to read a really cool story my friend who works at Google sent me? (but for the love of jeebus, do NOT read the comments)

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/google-embeds-engineers-professors-161909508--finance.html

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Howard University freshman Alanna Walton knew something was different about the professor teaching her introduction to computer science course.

First, there was her name: Professor Sabrina. She was an African American woman, kept office hours until 2 a.m. if that's what it took to see everyone, and had an additional title: Google In Residence.

"It was an awesome class," said Alanna who has already chosen her major at the Washington D.C.-based university: computer science.

In ongoing efforts to diversify Silicon Valley's tech sector, Google is embedding engineers at a handful of Historically Black Colleges and Universities where they teach, mentor and advise on curriculum.

Today 35 percent of African Americans receiving computer science degrees come from those schools, but they don't make their way to Silicon Valley's top tech firms. Google is typical — about 1 percent of its technical staffers are black.

Last year a push by civil rights advocate Jesse Jackson prompted several dozen tech firms to release workforce diversity data which showed under-representation of African Americans, Latinos and women in the field.

More at link.

[Capt. Obvious]

7. Skynet is not self aware

yet

[Jesus Malverde]

8. Bump..nt