"Auto component maker Piolax, will also raise the hourly wage at its Mexican plant to $16 within the year. The company is also installing robots to mitigate rising labor costs, President Yukihiko Shimazu said."
There are obviously places where it makes sense, but a $15/hr human is preeeetty cheap compared to the price, programming, and maintenance of a robot.
Seeing the quote from Yukihiko, I feel it reads like PR or a soothing word to stockholders who hate to hear about employees and wages
But such a robot is a good insurance against further increases of minimum wages.