Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for March 29, 2017
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
March 29, 2017: Not too long ago, we were told that computers would usher in a paperless era. Instead, we’re now printing more documents than ever. There are so many paper documents that a $25 billion industry has developed to store and maintain those records.[1] Much of the paperwork is required for legal purposes. Whatever the reason, countless warehouses are filled with documents that mock the promise of a paperless society.
But help is on the way! Robots are coming to clean up the mess.
The robots are being deployed by Ripcord, a company founded by former NASA and Apple employees. The company will “automate what has been, until now, an inefficient and error-prone process,” according to cofounder and CEO Alex Fielding. “There will be no more holding records hostage in massive warehouses.”[2]
To accomplish their task, the robots use machine vision, robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to clear out the unneeded paper records. This teaser gives you a glimpse of the robots that scan, organize, and integrate records:
If the idea of robots cleaning up the paper mess created by computers strikes you as fanciful, rest assured that this is a serious effort. Ripcord has just raised $9.5 million to put its plan into motion. Attracted by the opportunity to disrupt and take over a $25 billion industry, the initial investors include Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak and the premier Silicon Valley firm of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. KPCB partner Mike Abbott explained their interest by saying, “The market wants a tech solution, not a real estate one.”[3]
Maybe, just maybe, we are finally getting to that paperless society!
- Yesterday’s number was 14, the number of U.S. presidents who made one or fewer appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. It is possible that Neil Gorsuch could be Donald Trump’s only chance to elevate someone to the court.
- Monday’s number was 4,269, the number of breweries in the United States. That figure helps explain the tension and polarization of 21st-century politics.
- Last Friday’s number was $205 billion, the growth in federal spending projected in President Trump’s 2018 budget plan.
- Last Thursday’s number was 101 minutes, the average time spent in the waiting room and traveling to see a doctor.
- Last Wednesday’s number was 39.3, the gallons of water consumed by the average American in 2016. For the first time ever, Americans consumed more bottled water than soda.
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ GEP, "Trends in Records Management," July 28, 2016
- ↑ Business Wire, "Ripcord Receives $9.5M from Kleiner Perkins to Create World’s First Robotic Digitization Company," March 23, 2017
- ↑ Oklahoma's Own, "Ripcord Receives $9.5M from Kleiner Perkins to Create Worlds First Robotic Digitization Company," March 23, 2017
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