Grand Rapids, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/12/2013 -- For those of us who are too busy to stay on top of events in the world's economy, financial advisor Dennis Tubbergen lends a helping hand.

Tubbergen is a financial advisor, author, radio show host and CEO of PLP Advisors, LLC. Tubbergen does his best to give brief updates when it comes to some of the latest significant events in U.S. and world economics and politics and how these events may impact the average American.

Whether people enjoy his weekly newsletter at www.moving-markets.com or his blog at www.dennistubbergen.com, Tubbergen can be counted on to share his viewpoints and opinions. On April 5, 2013 his blog was titled Robot Revolution?

"CNBC recently ran a story about some of the tasks that can now be completed by robots rather than humans," began Tubbergen.

Below, Tubbergen quotes from the March 26, 2013 article.

If you meet Baxter, the latest humanoid robot from Rethink Robotics - you should get comfortable with him, because you'll likely be seeing more of him soon.

Rethink Robotics released Baxter last fall and received an overwhelming response from the manufacturing industry, selling out of their production capacity through April. He's cheap to buy ($22,000), easy to train, and can safely work side-by-side with humans. He's just what factories need to make their assembly lines more efficient - and yes, to replace costly human workers.

But manufacturing is only the beginning.

This April, Rethink will launch a software platform that will allow Baxter to do a more complex sequencing of tasks - for example, picking up a part, holding it in front of an inspection station and receiving a signal to place it in a "good" or "not good" pile. The company is also releasing a software development kit soon that will allow third parties - like university robotics researchers - to create applications for Baxter.

These third parties "are going to do all sorts of stuff we haven't envisioned," says Scott Eckert, CEO of Rethink Robotics. He envisions something similar to Apple's app store happening for Baxter. A spiffed-up version of the robot could soon be seen flipping burgers at McDonalds, folding t-shirts at Gap, or pouring coffee at Starbucks.

"Could (Baxter) be a barista?" asks Eckert. "It's not a target market, but it's something that's pretty repeatable. Put a cup in, push a button, espresso comes out, etc. There are simple repeatable service tasks that Baxter could do over time."

Companies might not need to wait for a more advanced version of Baxter - MIT already has a BakeBot that can read recipes, whip together cookie dough and place it in the oven. The University of California at Berkeley has a robot that can do laundry and fold T-shirts. Robot servers have started waiting tables at restaurants in Japan, South Korea, China and Thailand - and just last week, a robot served Passover matzah to President Obama during his trip to Israel.

"Every year, machines are getting more capable of doing low-level tasks," says Professor Seth Teller, a robotics researcher at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab.

Many experts worry about what robots in the service sector could do to unemployment. The national unemployment rate remains at 7.7 percent, not remotely close to the 4.7 percent unemployment in 2007 before the recession. Job growth isn't expected to return to pre-recession levels until 2017, and the recent sequestration could easily derail it. Manufacturing has already shed nearly 6 million jobs since 2000.

"When machines and robots start taking over service sector jobs, that's when we'll really start to notice," says Martin Ford, robotics expert and author of The Lights In the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future. "If you're making hamburgers or Starbucks drinks, that's really just high manufacturing."

"Is this 'robot revolution' still another threat to the economy?" asks Tubbergen. "I don't think so. While many jobs may be eliminated by robots, others will be created. And, those that will be created will, in my view, be better and higher paying jobs, unlike the jobs that have been created during the recent economic 'recovery.'"

Tubbergen goes on to say there is historic precedent for this. The development of the personal computer eliminated some jobs while creating others. The development of agricultural planting and harvesting equipment eliminated some jobs but created others.

"The coming robot revolution will likely do the same," concludes Tubbergen. "And it may be one of the jump starts that the economy needs."

To read the blog in its entirety go to http://www.dennistubbergen.com and select his April 5, 2013 entry.

Tubbergen’s syndicated radio show can be heard on metro Michigan stations WTKG 1230 AM and WOOD Newsradio1300 AM and 106.9 FM.

About Dennis Tubbergen
Dennis Tubbergen has been in the financial industry for over 25 years and has his corporate offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tubbergen is CEO of PLP Advisors, LLC and has an online blog that can be read at www.dennistubbergen.com. To view Tubbergen’s latest Moving Markets? newsletter, go to www.moving-markets.com.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the writer and not necessarily those of USA Wealth Management, LLC. This update may contain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements as to future events that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those that were forecasted. Therefore, no forecast should be construed as a guarantee. Prior to making any investment decision, individuals should consult a professional to determine the risks, costs, benefits and fees associated with a particular investment. Information obtained from third party resources is believed to be reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed.