Yes, this is essentially the same reason why you don't see robots flipping burgers. The automated equipment would have to get very cheap to be cost effective.
My current thesis is that robots (have to sense the world, make decisions, move freely, and respond to stimuli) only make sense in markets with labor shortages.
AKA - if people are willing to do it for cheap, it probably won't make sense to get a robot involved.
Re:The End of Starsky Robotics
by Ericson2314 on Thursday March 19, 2020 @10:12PM
(#22633892)
Why we need to shrink the labor pool. Better to think UBI enables automation than it saves us from automation.
I haven't heard that thought before, but it's an interesting one.
Probably won't help with any of those folks opposed to UBI because "people get meaning from work." Proponents of that view must know a hidden trove of self-actualized retail workers.
High level - Uber and Lyft have done a terrific job getting people to work for less than minimum wage. I've met quite a number of uberdrivers who work in Robotaxi-Ready cities (think Chandler, Tampa, etc) who work 12-16 hours/day, 6-7 days a week, and make $20k/yr after depreciation.
While sensors are getting cheaper, most teams respond by throwing more sensors on the vehicle. It seems unlikely there will be a <$20k robotaxi anytime soon.
TL;DR: Humans are cheaper than robots.