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Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

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Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#81

Post by vineyardmike »

pjerem wrote: post #32
vineyardmike wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As another commenter alluded to, good Smarthome tech becomes an appliance, which isn’t a desirable high margin business, and bad tech becomes a nuisance which is also not a desirable business. That’s why Google is slowly getting out of it and shifting their focus from Nest. That’s why Apple never did much beyond a few speakers, and it’s why Amazon is right at home in that business (but even they’re getting out of the…

> Robotics… seem like a miss to me. Very few tasks at home are as simple as vacuuming Even vacuuming was pretty hard. Most vacuum robots were a disappointment until maybe 2 or 3 years.

Oh absolutely, it just has the advantage of being a well know and relatively simple machine (the vacuum), that is expected to roll across the floor, and is expected to avoid household objects instead of interacting with them.

Almost all other tasks either operate at human-hands level (significantly bigger robot) or need intimate understanding of you and your home (eg picking things up off the floor) or need a ton of dexterity (folding clothes). Or all three.

Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#82

Post by V99 »

CharlieDigital wrote: post #67
nostromo wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm shocked by your comment. Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. Of course, these are very hard problems to take on -- much harder than a "smart" light switch -- but the market is absolutely there.

> Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. We are far, far away from any of the remaining tedious parts of those things being done competently by a robot. - Dishes: dishwashers already do the majority of the labor intensive part. - Laundry: the washer already does the labor intensive part. - Mowing: if you don't t…

Traversing a rectangle of grass at 2mph in a backyard is absurdly simpler than self-driving cars on open roads, and the absolute worst-case is something like a foot or pet injury.

There are multiple companies that already sell automatic lawn mowers in the $1000+ range. Some you bury a boundary wire around the target area, others figure it out with cameras.

Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#83

Post by layer8 »

judah wrote: post #49
7thaccount wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also can't imagine a home robotics use case that I would get excited over. Can anyone think of anything? I would guess any new product would be more complex, less efficient, and a security risk. It'll be cool and trendy for a few months and then die off. Just like the Alexa and Google speakers that can tell you the weather or adjust your lights...is it REALLY that useful outside of entertaining your nieces and neph…

The company that builds a robot that can do household chores will be very, very rich. I want a bot that can do laundry (load washer, load dryer, fold, put away), do the dishes (rinse, put in dishwasher, put clean dishes away, wash pots & pans), vacuum floors, dust, clean up messes, empty garbage bins, take out the trash, mow my lawn, trim bushes, clean tables, mop floors, make meals, cleans toilets and sinks and bath…

Human-sized robots (arguably needed for some of the tasks you list, being able to walk stairs, etc.) will be creepy due to how physically imposing they’ll be, and with a risk of being dangerous due to how massive they’ll need to be. For example falling over due to malfunction/collision/tripping, and potentially crushing a small child. I don’t see such a product happening for home use.

Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#84

Post by layer8 »

azinman2 wrote: post #68
nostromo wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like that Apple is taking on big hard futuristic problems, like AR/VR, AI, and home robotics. But from a business perspective it seems unlikely to be successful. Apple could "easily" sell a luxury car and TVs and print many billions of dollars right away. They wouldn't need unproven tech -- they could just use their design skills along with vertical integration to have very nice products that people would want to b…

Sounds like you’ve never been in a Waymo. It’s so much better than an Uber it’s not even funny, and that’s worth many billions right there.

Apple just recently cancelled their car project after ten years of R&D and spending over $10 billion.

Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#85

Post by canadianfella »

CharlieDigital wrote: post #67
nostromo wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm shocked by your comment. Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. Of course, these are very hard problems to take on -- much harder than a "smart" light switch -- but the market is absolutely there.

> Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. We are far, far away from any of the remaining tedious parts of those things being done competently by a robot. - Dishes: dishwashers already do the majority of the labor intensive part. - Laundry: the washer already does the labor intensive part. - Mowing: if you don't t…

[dead]

Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#86

Post by layer8 »

zachbee wrote: post #3

"Smart home" has really fallen flat across the board, from smart speakers to the Roomba. It would be great if Apple changed that, but I'm not optimistic. I just don't think people really want smart home devices all that much.

HomeKit and HomePods are such a mess, I don’t think Apple has it in them.

Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#87

Post by lobochrome »

judah wrote: post #49
7thaccount wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also can't imagine a home robotics use case that I would get excited over. Can anyone think of anything? I would guess any new product would be more complex, less efficient, and a security risk. It'll be cool and trendy for a few months and then die off. Just like the Alexa and Google speakers that can tell you the weather or adjust your lights...is it REALLY that useful outside of entertaining your nieces and neph…

The company that builds a robot that can do household chores will be very, very rich. I want a bot that can do laundry (load washer, load dryer, fold, put away), do the dishes (rinse, put in dishwasher, put clean dishes away, wash pots & pans), vacuum floors, dust, clean up messes, empty garbage bins, take out the trash, mow my lawn, trim bushes, clean tables, mop floors, make meals, cleans toilets and sinks and bath…

Self driving cars seem tame in comparison.

Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#88

Post by tkgally »

judah wrote: post #49
7thaccount wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also can't imagine a home robotics use case that I would get excited over. Can anyone think of anything? I would guess any new product would be more complex, less efficient, and a security risk. It'll be cool and trendy for a few months and then die off. Just like the Alexa and Google speakers that can tell you the weather or adjust your lights...is it REALLY that useful outside of entertaining your nieces and neph…

The company that builds a robot that can do household chores will be very, very rich. I want a bot that can do laundry (load washer, load dryer, fold, put away), do the dishes (rinse, put in dishwasher, put clean dishes away, wash pots & pans), vacuum floors, dust, clean up messes, empty garbage bins, take out the trash, mow my lawn, trim bushes, clean tables, mop floors, make meals, cleans toilets and sinks and bath…

Exactly. And add one more thing: Help with the care of the elderly and invalids.

As it happens, I turned sixty-seven today. While I am in good shape now, it's reasonable to assume that I might need personal care at some point in the not too distant future. A humanoid robot assistant that could handle many of those tasks would be great.

I have no idea when or whether that will become possible, though.

Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#89

Post by Clamchop »

CharlieDigital wrote: post #67
nostromo wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm shocked by your comment. Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. Of course, these are very hard problems to take on -- much harder than a "smart" light switch -- but the market is absolutely there.

> Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. We are far, far away from any of the remaining tedious parts of those things being done competently by a robot. - Dishes: dishwashers already do the majority of the labor intensive part. - Laundry: the washer already does the labor intensive part. - Mowing: if you don't t…

Robot vacuums are great! They have limitations but they work really well within that envelope in my experience.

Re: Apple explores home robotics as potential 'next big thing'

#90

Post by bamboozled »

ENGNR wrote: post #79

For me the "transformative" aspect of personal robotics is... maintenance Why does every store have self opening doors, but no houses do? I think it's because paying ~$500/year to get it running again when it breaks feels like a waste to almost any home owner. The same with other random innovations, like a car stacker to push your car into the garage roof when not in use so you can use the garage (the hydraulics woul…

It's also just laziness. Even in homes with very few things to do maintenance on, things still go unmaintained.
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