New roles for technology: Rise of robots

The hitchBOT is seen posed next to Highway 17 north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and a portion of the Trans-Canada Highway August 5, 2014. Three-fourths of robot installations over the next decade are expected to be concentrated in four areas: transportation equipment, including the automotive sector; computer and electronic products; electrical equipment and machinery. Labor costs have climbed in countries that have been popular for outsourcing production, while technological advances for robots allow them to be more flexible and perform more tasks. [Photo/Agencies]