4 ms·

Body Shops and Paint Shops are fully automated - no humans do work on the vehicles directly. General Assembly is where floppy things like carpet are installed

by csours 9y ago

Body Shops and Paint Shops are fully automated - no humans do work on the vehicles directly. General Assembly is where floppy things like carpet are installed (along with all the other things that get bolted to the body and frame/subframe). Floppy things are hard to automate, and more expensive for less ROI.

stcredzero 9y ago
I wonder if, in some place like India, could all of the floppy parts be left to small businesses and local shops? Automated cars would deliver themselves to customers, with utilitarian interiors and utilitarian race-inspired webbing and harnesses, then be driven by the new owner to a customizing shop. I understand that trucks are sold somewhat like this, minus the automation.
- csours 9y ago
  Many things can work; fewer things work at scale; even fewer things make financial sense at scale. Your idea would be more likely work in a country with fewer or no safety regulations. In the United States and Europe there are rules like FMVSS and UNECE rules[0]. Components have to be carefully designed and verified, which would be harder with Mom and Pop shops. Also, OEMs are able to buy parts at volume, with volume discounts, small shops wouldn't necessarily get those discounts. 0.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_Standards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_S... 0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Forum_for_Harmonization_of_Vehicle_Regulations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Forum_for_Harmonization_... 0. http://jalopnik.com/a-simple-explanation-why-america-doesnt-get-european-h-1493377285 http://jalopnik.com/a-simple-explanation-why-america-doesnt-...
craigsmansion 9y ago
> Floppy things are hard to automate I'm so stealing that and extending it to: Floppy or squishy things are hard to automate.
- csours 9y ago
  Yup, floppy, squishy, and things variable in type - nearly all of the variation in vehicles is in the trim, not the body.

by csours 9y ago

stcredzero 9y ago

I wonder if, in some place like India, could all of the floppy parts be left to small businesses and local shops? Automated cars would deliver themselves to customers, with utilitarian interiors and utilitarian race-inspired webbing and harnesses, then be driven by the new owner to a customizing shop. I understand that trucks are sold somewhat like this, minus the automation.

csours 9y ago
Many things can work; fewer things work at scale; even fewer things make financial sense at scale. Your idea would be more likely work in a country with fewer or no safety regulations. In the United States and Europe there are rules like FMVSS and UNECE rules[0]. Components have to be carefully designed and verified, which would be harder with Mom and Pop shops. Also, OEMs are able to buy parts at volume, with volume discounts, small shops wouldn't necessarily get those discounts. 0.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_Standards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_S... 0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Forum_for_Harmonization_of_Vehicle_Regulations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Forum_for_Harmonization_... 0. http://jalopnik.com/a-simple-explanation-why-america-doesnt-get-european-h-1493377285 http://jalopnik.com/a-simple-explanation-why-america-doesnt-...

craigsmansion 9y ago

> Floppy things are hard to automate I'm so stealing that and extending it to: Floppy or squishy things are hard to automate.

csours 9y ago
Yup, floppy, squishy, and things variable in type - nearly all of the variation in vehicles is in the trim, not the body.