All Work and No Play Makes Jackie a Dull Robot

Bob Stuart is an automation engineer at a “Seed and Technology” company named Beck’s Hybrids. Bob works with a pair of robots named Jackie and Denny that sort bags of seed and corn from a conveyor onto a skid. I’ve done a fair bit of tossing corn bags myself and I’ve fantasized about having a robot like Jackie to lend a hand. Apparently, the guys at Beck’s Hybrids have an imagination of their own.

“The company that made the robot said you can make the robots do anything and even teach them how to make a basket,” said Tim Whisman, production/bagging supervisor at Beck’s. “We thought it would be neat.”

Obviously, Bob proceeded to modify Jackie by giving him two arms, cupped hands, and a day’s worth of code to toss nothing-but-net free throws. I don’t care who you are, that’s cool right there.

Read the whole article at Indiestar.com which was written by Katie Merlie.