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Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

nytimes.com

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Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#31

Post by blinduck »

wpietri wrote: post #20
wpietri wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just guessing, but for me it's about the audience. Software in the 70s and 80s was very nerdy. With the rise of the web, it got less so, driven by the need to reach consumers and the influence of print design. In the last decade, a lot of tech is downright chic, and succeeds because of that. Look at the iPod and the iPhone, for example. I think robotics is coming up on a similar transition. For years it was 99% resea…

Whoa. It's worth checking out their video "Box": http://www.botndolly.com/box Gorgeous.

This is the most amazing thing I've seen in a really long time.

Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#32

Post by shdon »

I wonder how long it will be before the sex industry catches on. Surely realistic and anatomically correct androids are preferable to blow-up dolls are what have you... even Star Trek mentioned the issue.

It might seem flippant, but I genuinely think that is a potentially huge market (though probably not Google's cup of tea). After all, why create a robot that is shaped like a human? The human form is remarkably versatile, but there's a reason that industrial robots don't look even remotely human. Each has a specialised function and corresponding form that makes them far more efficient than a human being.

The best reason for having a robot that emulates human form and behaviour would be for interacting with other humans. There are fewer more basic human needs than that for sex, as much as we'd all like to be prudes and deny it. Though the uncanny valley may be an issue, human nature makes it unavoidable that this will happen eventually.

Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#33

Post by icebraining »

chmike wrote: post #22
yRetsyM wrote: post #4

Is it too early to reference Skynet and Terminator?

Why the down vote ? This is a pertinent question. It's a problem we will face soon or later. Internet has also it's problem. The ostrich attitude or obscurantism about them is plain stupid. My answer to this question is that dynamite and machine have good use and bad use. There were also good reason to fear the bad use of them. But mankind manage to keep the balance largely in favor of the good use. I'll not prone ob…

I beleive that artificial intelligence reproducing the brain capabilities is just behind the corner.

Why?

Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#34

Post by eitally »

shdon wrote: post #32

I wonder how long it will be before the sex industry catches on. Surely realistic and anatomically correct androids are preferable to blow-up dolls are what have you... even Star Trek mentioned the issue. It might seem flippant, but I genuinely think that is a potentially huge market (though probably not Google's cup of tea). After all, why create a robot that is shaped like a human? The human form is remarkably vers…

This was the key theme of only the second episode of the new cop drama Almost Human. I agree with you. However, I think there is a more immediate market in industry, and one that doesn't require nearly as complex robots.

Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#35

Post by eli_gottlieb »

yRetsyM wrote: post #4

Is it too early to reference Skynet and Terminator?

No. It is exactly the right time. People really need to stop trying to bring scifi to life without considering that most of those scifi books/movies resulted in the extinction of mankind, or something near that.

Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#36

Post by shdon »

eitally wrote: post #34
shdon wrote: post #32

I wonder how long it will be before the sex industry catches on. Surely realistic and anatomically correct androids are preferable to blow-up dolls are what have you... even Star Trek mentioned the issue. It might seem flippant, but I genuinely think that is a potentially huge market (though probably not Google's cup of tea). After all, why create a robot that is shaped like a human? The human form is remarkably vers…

This was the key theme of only the second episode of the new cop drama Almost Human. I agree with you. However, I think there is a more immediate market in industry, and one that doesn't require nearly as complex robots.

Almost Human has been on my list of things to watch, I suppose I should move it up a notch. The industrial market will undoubtedly be served first by this (and Google's probably carefully avoiding any hint of what I suggested -- heck, I already got downvoted for merely mentioning the possibility), but I'm pretty sure it will happen. The ethical implications are interesting to say the least. Complexity is interesting, too. Historically, it's always been better to have specialised programming for the domain of use. Industrial/manufacturing purposes would indeed be a nicely delineated area. Once you make androids that have to deal with humans on a human level, pretty much all limits are gone as the entire gamut of human behaviour needs to be dealt with and a portion of it simulated. I suppose a sexbot of some kind is possible without being too complicated, just don't expect it to cook you dinner afterwards. Perhaps too much complexity would actually be detrimental in this case, as no sane person has yet worried about whether their blowup-doll likes them or has a good time. Moral and ethical issues will arise. But that hasn't stopped humanity in the past.

Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#37

Post by lifeisstillgood »

For me this article tells me I am growing up. Previously I would have thought "gosh Google is getting into robots, well that sews up the market everyone will buy from them."

today I think - "Wow, Google is path blazing, there is going to be so many opportunities - let's dig out ROS and find a local company with a needs"

Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#38

Post by tlarkworthy »

shdon wrote: post #32

I wonder how long it will be before the sex industry catches on. Surely realistic and anatomically correct androids are preferable to blow-up dolls are what have you... even Star Trek mentioned the issue. It might seem flippant, but I genuinely think that is a potentially huge market (though probably not Google's cup of tea). After all, why create a robot that is shaped like a human? The human form is remarkably vers…

check out the robotic buttocks, http://youtu.be/vhHo6CUq4-o?t=2m45s. I love the researcher's creepy love hate relationship with the synthetic buttocks. WARNING: you can't unwatch it

Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#39

Post by bliti »

waps wrote: post #25
sown wrote: post #11

I feel like I'm greatly missing out on new stuff like this. I'm trying to get a turtle bot together and build a sort of lab component of Prof Thrun's robot car class. But I wonder what else I could be doing. Anyone have pointers?

Some suggestions. To learn: 1) http://societyofrobots.com/ especially the forum 2) https://www.coursera.org/course/conrob 3) download the old coursera course on computer vision from some torrent site 4) anything and everything on 3d mathematics you can find. Get a job making robots. Oh and the interview question is "how do you find a path for a non-point robot with non-line obstacles". The answer is to add the point-…

This is a fantastic list. I would like to add:

8) Robotics is a big industry. Find what interests you within it. It may be arms, rovers, drones, sensors, logic, etc. In my case, I'm interested in autonomous robots in the spirit of the google self driving projects.

Re: Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android

#40

Post by subsystem »

wpietri wrote: post #18
aray wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure how 'less nerdy' would be a plus for a robotics company, but good to have a positive review of the place nonetheless. Do you work there?

Just guessing, but for me it's about the audience. Software in the 70s and 80s was very nerdy. With the rise of the web, it got less so, driven by the need to reach consumers and the influence of print design. In the last decade, a lot of tech is downright chic, and succeeds because of that. Look at the iPod and the iPhone, for example. I think robotics is coming up on a similar transition. For years it was 99% resea…

I don't know. In terms of excitement and creativity I think we're slowly catching up to the end of the 90s.
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