While touring a factory in Germany, I got stuck in a conversation loop with an overly polite assembly line robot.

3 comments

3 Comments

But what if that perceived courtesy is the whole point, not just a side effect? Those interaction protocols are designed to make humans more comfortable working alongside machines, which is crucial for long term adoption. Calling it obsessive risk mitigation overlooks how it changes the work environment psychologically. A smooth interaction loop, even if overly polite, can reduce stress and prevent errors beyond just workflow interruptions. That's why German engineers might prioritize it, it's about integration, not just efficiency.

fiona_thompson11h ago

Berlin's assembly bots prioritize courtesy, streamlining interactions, right?

harperb8710h ago

Read an article last week about their A7 facility. They call it "assembly choreography," where bots actually pause and yield space to human workers following strict protocol. It does streamline things, but the courtesy feels more like obsessive risk mitigation than politeness. Saw a stat claiming it reduced workflow interruptions by something like 40 percent.