How Automation Can Help Maintain Social Distancing Rules

Adjusting to the new era of quarantine and social distancing is no easy task. Most of us have seen our daily routines flipped on their heads and certain casual engagements (like trips to the movies and concerts) be relegated to memories for the time being. While the restrictions in place around the world bring little joy, we can still celebrate the aspects of our lives that social distancing has not put a damper on, especially where automation has compensated for the inconveniences. Below, you can find several examples.

1. A growing interest in new transport methods

Obviously, one of the most common places where people interact is in means of transportation, including buses, cars, trains, and airplanes. Under the current circumstances, autonomous vehicles are experiencing a surge in interest that is not unfounded. After all, self-driving vehicles can save a passenger from close contact with other people, so their only company is the car itself.

Even though this technology is still in its early stages, people are already looking to it as a distance-friendly solution for a future where our contact must still be limited. In the meantime, drivers and passengers are trying plastic barriers, sophisticated respirators, and other means to limit contact.

2. Shopping made safer

eCommerce is one of the biggest success stories of the pandemic era. Those consumers who already relied on this practice for their goods only increased their online shopping, while many of those who never shopped online started doing it now. This automation in order processing eliminates the need to visit most stores, while deliveries made at a fair distance from recipients grant a much lower risk in comparison to interactions with cashiers and store workers.

3. Robots changing manufacturing

While the use of robots in the world of manufacturing is nothing new, factories and businesses that use them are experiencing unexpected benefits during the pandemic. Many countries and governments have placed factories on lockdown if they are not able to maintain social distancing rules.

This is a significant setback for plants where workers stand in assembly rows in close proximity to others, but hardly a bother to robot-filled factories. As the robotic arms and machinery carry out many of the tasks traditionally handled with human labor, fewer workers are needed at the facilities and they can stay open in normal (or close to normal) capacity.

4. Finding love online

The onset of social distancing rules has made it harder to meet new people in person, so many new users are jumping online for an analogous experience. Various forms of technology and apps are helping users “meet” online, communicate, and even date remotely. Dating services apply their automated algorithms to match potential couples, and foster communication through different tools (messaging, video chat, image sharing, etc.).

5. A rise in virtual meetings

With many companies working from home, virtual meetings have become a necessity. We would not be able to enjoy them without the substantial investments and work that tech companies dedicate to these automated communication channels.