Bricklayers Think They’re Safe From Robots. Decide for Yourself. #MakerBusiness
Great piece from The New York Times on the future of bricklaying, the humans who’ve honed the craft, and robots possibly entering the field.
Nearly two-thirds of bricklaying contractors say they are struggling to find workers, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders . And it can take three to four years before a person with no experience can become a journeyman bricklayer.
In addition, productivity — how much brick wall a laborer can complete in an hour of work — isn’t much better than it was two decades ago. Bricklaying’s most important tools — a trowel, a bucket, string and a wheelbarrow — haven’t changed much over centuries.
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