Hello, Mr. Roboto

Words: Jennifer MorrellHey, I’m an old-school kind of girl. I still like to hold a magazine or book in my hands. I still buy CDs — and read all of the liner notes. I was late to the online bill-paying party, but I did get finally there.

When I conduct interviews with sources for articles, I shorthand my notes with pen and paper, and then transcribe them immediately into a Word document (yes, really). For me, it works. I organize my thoughts and actually have the entire article figured out via the transcribing process.

So, while my profession requires me to keep up with ever-changing software and digital advancements nearly daily, I’m still a traditional person at heart. I don’t automatically embrace every latest-and-greatest piece of technology; I sometimes have to be educated and convinced as to why it’s better than the “old way.”

Like many of our readers, the idea of masonry robotics seems almost oxymoronic in nature. How can masonry — true masonry — be anything but a hands-on, skilled human labor? How on earth could masonry involve a robot? To open your eyes and, possibly, your mind to the concept, we’ve included an article explaining how masonry robotics might actually help to advance masons on the jobsite on page 36 of the January 2015 issue. Give it a read, and let me know your thoughts on this level of technology as it applies to our masonry industry by emailing jmorrell@lionhrtpub.com.
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