Around the globe, robots are becoming familiar parts of our working lives. Japan is a world leader in robotics. They have 400,000 robots working in factories - 10 times as many as the United States.

Robots are used in dozens of other countries. As robots become more common, and less expensive to make, they will continue to increase their numbers in the workforce. Naturally, this is a matter of concern for factory workers, who may see their positions filled by robotic systems.