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Ex-Googler's startup comes out of stealth with simple, clever robot design

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Re: Ex-Googler's startup comes out of stealth with simple, clever robot design

#111

Post by gojomo »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #52
gojomo wrote: post #23

I'm looking forward to the day a small home robot can do the dishes, in the sink – replacing a dishwasher machine. This looks like a small step in that direction.

That’s the exact opposite of how most robotics are going for more specialized machines, not less. It is an interesting prospect, but what would be saved in space would be lost in more energy and water used (not to mention hygiene, we’ve used our dishwasher a lot more since we have had a kid to disinfect).

Are you sure a set of robot arms, trained over many generations to minimize motion/water/energy use, while also minimizing dirty dishes, would necessarily use more water/energy than a dishwasher?

What if the dishwasher is sometimes run half-full?

And the arms can put clean things away!

Re: Ex-Googler's startup comes out of stealth with simple, clever robot design

#113

Post by gojomo »

mNovak wrote: post #37
gojomo wrote: post #23

I'm looking forward to the day a small home robot can do the dishes, in the sink – replacing a dishwasher machine. This looks like a small step in that direction.

Wondering what the benefit of a dishwashing robot is? Better off just wishing for a more convenient / compact dishwasher, I think.

General-purpose arms that can, as a matter of software, do dishes could take up less space, put the clean dishes away, and then do other things, too, like simple food prep, surface cleaning, other 'straightening up', etc.

Re: Ex-Googler's startup comes out of stealth with simple, clever robot design

#114

Post by kumarvvr »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #80
nick0garvey wrote: post #30

The idea of it being controlled by a remote person makes me feel like a new breed of gig-jobs could be around the corner. Buy a robot, and pay someone remotely to do your housekeeping for you. The housekeeper could even operate it from their smartphones.

Why remote? There's plenty of people nearby you can hire that can do the job better, faster, and cheaper. The only downside is that you've got a real person in your house, but honestly if that's a hangup then you need to suck it up and just do the work yourself.

This could provide employment to disabled persons, or those unable to travel, etc..

Slap on a VR system to the bot and I am guessing a lot of chores and stuff can be done remotely.

I would imagine a set of ready made extensions for various works, would be helpful as well.

Re: Ex-Googler's startup comes out of stealth with simple, clever robot design

#115

Post by rawoke083600 »

sbierwagen wrote: post #50
mosselman wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you could teach your kids to clean up their toys themselves. Make it a fun game for example. Set an example by putting away your own groceries as soon as you put them in the kitchen. Boom 5k saved. Maybe they will grow up to not be the type of person who leaves all of their crap on the table of the university table after they are done studying. To be clear: I am not shifting on you as a parent. I am making fun of…

If you actually had a simple hack that reliably made children clean up after themselves, and could somehow sell it for money without it being instantly pirated, you would make rather more billions of dollars than Aaron Edsinger's robot ever would.

Education ? /s :)

Re: Ex-Googler's startup comes out of stealth with simple, clever robot design

#116

Post by dt3ft »

I see this being used by low cost remote operators to cleanup your room or do your laundry. Autonomy is still a gimmick, but imagine if you can pay $50/month so that a reliable remote operator (entire armies of call centres will turn into remote robot operators) swipes every surface with a cloth?

Re: Ex-Googler's startup comes out of stealth with simple, clever robot design

#118

Post by sbierwagen »

gojomo wrote: post #23

I'm looking forward to the day a small home robot can do the dishes, in the sink – replacing a dishwasher machine. This looks like a small step in that direction.

I just checked homedepot.com, and a search for "dishwasher" brings up options from $400 to $550.

It would be.... optimistic... to expect any household robot for anywhere near the same price to do that job as well and as durably as a conventional dishwasher. Which, I should point out, can wash dishes for years with no maintenance at all!

In fact, you can write news stories about the idea that dishwashers require any kind of maintenance? https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/clean-dishwasher-filte...

I am not ordinarily a pessimistic man, but I would expect to see major, society-destroying levels of technological unemployment from advanced automation long before we see a dishwashing robot.

Re: Ex-Googler's startup comes out of stealth with simple, clever robot design

#119

Post by tsherr »

cosmodisk wrote: post #86
spyckie2 wrote: post #26

Things it can't do: - go up stairs - get up after a fall / reset itself - pick up heavy objects - precise motion (so no cooking) - interact with buttons or touch screens (so laundry might be hard) The one use case I think it might be worth it is if the robot can take a room full of toys and return everything back to where it belongs. Kind of like a one click, reset this room. If it can help me keep organized and clea…

I think at this point, if there was a robot capable of doing this, it would also drive my kid to school,walk the dog,and even do the dishes on its spare time. Instead we get a tall clothe hanger on a motorised base.

If you want/need a robot to walk your dog, then you shouldn't have a dog.

Re: Ex-Googler's startup comes out of stealth with simple, clever robot design

#120

Post by kaken »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #80
nick0garvey wrote: post #30

The idea of it being controlled by a remote person makes me feel like a new breed of gig-jobs could be around the corner. Buy a robot, and pay someone remotely to do your housekeeping for you. The housekeeper could even operate it from their smartphones.

Why remote? There's plenty of people nearby you can hire that can do the job better, faster, and cheaper. The only downside is that you've got a real person in your house, but honestly if that's a hangup then you need to suck it up and just do the work yourself.

It makes it posible to use chape labor from other countries. in Norway it cost 40+ usd/h for profersional cleaning services
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