Robots for Hire? Welcome to the New Workforce

Robots are increasingly being used both at home and in the workforce to help humans.

Their resume: They make few mistakes, never get tired, and have recently become much more interactive.

An Alabama plant nursery is getting attention for its new army of engineered workers.

"Had a lot of people say from the highway, they can see little aliens running around on Flowerwood," Flowerwood CEO Ellis Ollingers said.

They're actually robots carrying plants up and down the rows of the nursery.

"As he goes across the front of the pots he sees each one of them. Once he comes to an empty hole that's where he drops the plant," Ollingers explained.

The robots haven't replaced human workers at the nursery. Ollingers said the robots are able to do the mindless work, spacing plants in the summer and bunching them in the winter.

"We've taught them more and more skills and we've moved them to where they're needed," she added.

That frees up humans to work on better jobs.

The robots are worth the $30,000 spent on them. They work in less than desirable conditions, can do double shifts, and don't require any breaks.

"You ride out here at lunchtime, everybody's gone but the robots are still running," Ollingers explained.

Robot technology is being used in the classroom as well.

There's even a robot that carries an iPad, allowing a master teacher to interact with students remotely.

For example, 10-year-old student Simon can work on his reading and comprehension skills with the help of a robot teacher, while his instructor Jody Gilles can monitor his progress.

"He'll tell us... Help me out, and he will guide me and interact with me, and it's no different than when working with him in person," she said.

Gilles said that thanks to the new technology, she's able to interact with 10 to 12 students per day for about 20 to 30 minutes each, no matter where they're located.

"We're reducing costs in travel and in time. So it's been a beneficial investment not just in terms of financially but also in terms of the time," Executive Center Director Jessica Corinne explained.

Despite all the benefits there are still a few things that need to be worked out.

"I like to help it because sometimes it crashes on the wall," Simon said.