Just noticed the remote control excavator article, too late really, and it likely won't catch on. Digging (and other machine operations) requires people in different vantage points to watch for stuff. A laborer who knows what he's doing can signal an operator better than an operator can dig on his own, because the laborer should be in the ditch, with a hand on the bucket feeling for vibrations, listening to the dirt, and right up in there to hand dig a bit and probe while the operator dumps. This two man operation is critical for safety and speed, and the operator needs to be where he is in order to feel the machine, see things the laborer sometimes can't, and be safely contained for certain tasks. As someone who has dug around utilities a bunch, this is the only way. The best way to dig if you have the room is dig with the machine outside of the tolerance zone straight down, and then the laborer simply caves the dirt into this ditch by hand, which is bailed out by the machine. This satisfies the hand digging requirement, while maximizing production.
A good operator can also use the back of the bucket to press on the dirt which also caves dirt while not actually digging. Once the line is located by the laborer, he clears it off on top, and places his shovel on the side of it to mark it. Then the operator can dig alongside the line and since he's in the perfect spot to see it, can dig right up next to it. You will lose all of these benefits and more with remote control. Believe it or not, a good operator can feel a surprising amount with the controls and machine movement, which is a very important safety advantage of being on the actual machine. Also, with vacuum trucks becoming increasingly common, digging with machines around anything will likely become a thing of the past in the next decade or so.
A good operator can also use the back of the bucket to press on the dirt which also caves dirt while not actually digging. Once the line is located by the laborer, he clears it off on top, and places his shovel on the side of it to mark it. Then the operator can dig alongside the line and since he's in the perfect spot to see it, can dig right up next to it. You will lose all of these benefits and more with remote control. Believe it or not, a good operator can feel a surprising amount with the controls and machine movement, which is a very important safety advantage of being on the actual machine. Also, with vacuum trucks becoming increasingly common, digging with machines around anything will likely become a thing of the past in the next decade or so.
cool guy, did volunteer work in Africa to help with drinking water and stuff like that. So although laborers are known for sweeping floors and hand digging, a large portion of their trade is actually very highly skilled work and can make or break a job.
