In an AP article posted at Yahoo! News, Canon discloses plans to build fully automated digital camera production lines.
"TOKYO (AP) — Canon Inc. is moving toward fully automating digital camera production in an effort to cut costs — a key change being played out across Japan, a world leader in robotics."
"If successful, counting on machines can help preserve this nation's technological power — not the stereotype of machines snatching assembly line jobs from workers, Jun Misumi — company spokesman, said Monday."
"The move toward machine-only production will likely be completed in the next few years, perhaps as soon as 2015, said Misumi, although he declined to give specific dates."
Canon emphasizes that no jobs will be cut due to this automation.