Coin Press - Meta tests robots for cabling, server resets and maintenance inside data centers

Meta is testing robots for tasks inside its data centers, including plugging and replacing cables, restarting servers and reseating hardware. Current and former workers familiar with the projects said the company is experimenting with equipment from suppliers including Watney Robotics, Kinova and ABB as it expands spending on AI infrastructure.One trial involves a Kinova Gen3 robotic arm that could be used to power-cycle servers. Another system is being tested for network-cable replacement, while a simpler device already used at some facilities can physically press a power button on a computer when remotely prompted. One worker estimated that a successful cabling robot could take over a large share of some technicians' routine workload, although the technology remains in testing.Meta said it is investing in training and hiring to build and operate its data centers and argued that the US has a shortage of skilled workers. The company has launched a program intended to train thousands of people each year in electrical, mechanical and plumbing work and has offered employment guarantees to qualifying graduates in Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana and Texas.Robots already in use include self-driving tuggers that move heavy server racks and wheeled inventory machines that read barcodes. Those systems operate at locations including Iowa and Virginia but still have limitations. Workers said the inventory robot cannot distinguish red from green indicator lights, struggles with corners and loose cables and sometimes needs a person to move it between buildings.At the Altoona, Iowa, campus, Meta has been testing two dual-armed Watney robots for cabling work since last June. At the newer Prometheus campus in New Albany, Ohio, ABB four-wheel robots with lifting systems and robotic arms are being used to reseat components. Workers also reported long battery-charging downtime and said some complex cabling, including work associated with Nvidia GB300 systems, remains beyond the robots' capabilities.

D.Goldberg--CPN