Robots’ speed and brawn—and the fact that they don’t get bored or suffer repetitive-stress injuries—make them a no-brainer for manufacturing. But they require a commitment. To be integrated into a factory, they need to be precisely placed (to within millimeters), bolted to the floor, and fenced off to keep workers out of harm’s way.
A version of this article appeared in the November 2015 issue (pp.28–30) of Harvard Business Review.