TECHNOLOGY

No More Shoes!

London: A swish company claims to have created socks that are 15 times stronger than steel and could make shoes obsolete. The waterproof Free Your Feet (FYF) sock is built to “fit like a glove” and gives the wearer a feeling of being barefoot, while protecting the feet from injuries, according to a report by PTI.
The tear and abrasion resisted socks have been tested by athletes and adventurers for rock climbing, surfing, slack lining and even swimming with sharks.
The Swiss Barefoot Company used a super-strong fabric named Dyneema to create the socks. Dyneema floats on water and is resistant to moisture, UV light and harmful chemicals.
The socks’ soles have ‘grip dots’ that let the wearers use them on all terrains, ‘Daily Express’ reported.
“FYF increases your performance safely, and with a new sense of security,” said Dieter Hesch, founder of the company in Switzerland.
“There are many sports where you would like to be barefoot but the risks of being injured are too high so you don’t do it.
“For example water sports and martial arts, balance and equilibrium are very important,” he said.
The socks, however, will not protect against sharp objects that can puncture the feet like needles and sea urchin spines.

Unmanned factory: Futuristic solution!

A Chinese firm specialising in precision technology has set up the first unmanned factory at Dongguan city where all the processes are operated by robots, regarded as futuristic solution to tide over China’s looming demographic crisis and dependence on manual workers, reports PTI.

In the plant, all the processes are operated by computer controlled robots, computer numerical control machining equipment, unmanned transport trucks and automated warehouse equipment. The technical staffs just sit at the computer and monitor through a central control system. At the workshop of changing precision Technology Company in Dongguan, known as the “world factory”, which manufactures cell phone modules, 60 robot arms at 10 production lines polish the modules day and night, state-run People’s Daily reported.

Each line has an automatic belt with just three workers who are just responsible for checking lines and monitoring. A few months ago, it required 650 workers to finish this process. A robot arm can replace six to eight workers, now there are 60 workers and the number will be reduced to 20 in the future, Luo Weiqiang, general manager of the company told the daily.

This is the first step of the “robot replace human” programme, it said. In the next two years, the number of robot will be increased to 1,000 and 80 percent process will be conducted by robots, said Chen Qixing, president of the company. Compared with many skilled workers, these robots are new hands.

But they made far more and better products then well-trained workers and experts, the report said. With nearly 200 million people above 60 years and old age population set to rise sharply, China is bracing to face demographic crisis in the near future as it will have fewer work force.