We continuously read articles and posts that discuss how advances in technology will result in the disappearance of various professions. Not long ago a piece was being circulated on the web published by Careercast.com who had compiled the ranking of the 10 jobs that within the next few years face extinction: postmen, farmers, meter readers, reporters, travel agents, loggers, flight attendants, factory workers, typographers and tax inspectors.
As I wrote in a previous post, the current process of digitalization will lead both to the disappearance of certain professions (as is only normal) but will also create new ones. But now I will ask you (and myself) a more specific question:
One day will the professional figure of the mechanical designer also disappear?
In other words: if we imagine a future in which robots will be building robots instead of humans, can we assume that they will also be designing them? And if so, based on what experience will they be able to do so? As a result of what knowledge? Who will be responsible for giving them that knowledge?
In an ideal and science fiction-type world the idea of transferring all human knowledge relating to mechanical design notions and skills directly into the brain of a robot is quite conceivable. This however would mean that everyone would find themselves in a position of being able to design anything autonomously.
Is this possible? I don’t think so because the traits that characterize the figure of the mechanical engineer are creativity and the ability to invent, both of which are essential aspects coupled with a wealth of experience and know-how that this figure contributes.
So my answer would be no: a robot would never be able to produce patents. Only humans can do that. The more creative side of mechanical design will never be supplanted by machines.
What advances in technology could do (and that it is hoped will be achieved soon) is to provide additional support for certain stages of the work of the mechanical engineer, thus allowing us to obtain significant savings in terms of time and costs.
I refer for example to the designing of 2D drawings: 90/95% of automatic execution of this phase of the design work is possible but there must always be an operator responsible for making any corrections. And this is essentially what is already happening with CAM software that, starting from the 3D model, creates the program for the machine. Formerly it was the task of the specialist operator to oversee this; today instead these highly complex softwares are capable of performing this work completely independently and the figure of the operator is only required to provide supervision and correction of the details.
Technological research might also lead to the development of software that can support the designer in selecting the material to be used in their projects. Let us imagine for example working in the field of avionics where the aspect associated with the weight of materials is very influential. One day (perhaps even in the not too distant future) there may be a program that can offer us use of the most suitable material to be utilized, devised on the basis of this specific application case.
Another example: software that is much more complex than that currently available that is able to refine the relevant calculations based on specific application requirements. A practical example: the programs that we have available today allow us to simulate and to learn the average length of a gear but not the values that would be involved if working under extreme conditions (e.g. minus 40 degrees). Virtual simulation software is accompanied by libraries of case studies but simulation of all the possible and imaginable application conditions is not yet a reality.
I will give you one last example (but there may be many more). Think of the approval tests that are performed in the automotive sector. The brakes of a vehicle, for example, must operate at the very high temperatures caused by friction force and often in difficult conditions (wet, cold), thus being subjected to thermal shock that – in the long run – cause then to deteriorate. Approval tests on brakes today are performed using bulky and expensive equipment and require a great deal of time. It goes without saying that if this could be performed by sophisticated software, there could be consequent significant savings in terms of time and costs.
