One signal

A factory visit to Unitree has prompted a wider question about who will build the machines that build robots. The author of a 5 November essay says Unitree relies heavily on manual motor winding, and argues that Western manufacturers could gain an edge by automating production as wages rise and robot designs stabilise.

That is the author’s analysis, not proof that Western firms have secured such an advantage. Still, it puts manufacturing methods, rather than robot demos alone, into the competition story. In robotics, could the real advantage go to whoever automates production first, or will low-cost manual work remain hard to beat?

Discuss: Could the real advantage in robotics manufacturing go to whoever automates production first, or will low-cost manual work remain hard to beat?

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