Robot Practices for Future Missions by Sorting Packages

Yaskawa Electric, a.k.a. "Our Robotic Overloards," has put its Motoman-DIA10 robot to work sorting packages. I predict that this is just practice for future missions, a proof of concept, if you will. Because, really, why would a package-sorting robot require a human-like face? Most truly industrial robots are minimalist in their designs, incorporating only those features that are necessary for performing a given task. Where’s Will Smith when we need him? Or, this is just a multipurpose robot being put to one specific task, but then, that’s not quite so exciting, is it?