Google And Foxconn Tipped In Tie Up For Robotics Project

Typically, when we talk about Foxconn, we are talking about the Chinese company and its production of Apple gadgets. Foxconn does have customers other than Apple, but Apple is one of the largest. A new tie up between a US tech firm and Foxconn has been tipped. This tie up is said to be between Google and Foxconn in the robotics arena.

Sources that claim to be familiar with the deal are claiming that Foxconn has been working with Andy Rubin from Google. Rubin is now heading up the robotics project at Google. The sources claim that Rubin and Foxconn have been working together since last year to realize Google's vision for robotics.

Foxconn chairman Terry Gou and Rubin are said to have met to discuss new robotics technologies in an effort to speed robot deployment in Foxconn factories, a great place for Google to test its industrial robots. The Google robot moonshot, as it's called, is said to be more for factory automation robots than for robots to clean your home.

Google has been buying up robotics companies left and right. Last year it acquired eight robotics firms, including Boston Dynamics. Sources claim that Google wants to design robots for manufacturing electronics, which is largely done manually today. Google also wants its robotics to compete in retailing environments. Foxconn wants to automate its factories due to rising labor costs and continuing workplace disputes in China. Google is expected to build a new robot OS for manufacturers like it did for smartphones with Android. Considering Rubin is the father of Android, he is in the right place for that robot OS.

SOURCE: WSJ