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"Google’s public-relations team expressed discomfort that Alphabet would be associated with a push into humanoid robotics". Observe the Innovator's Dilemma in
by Rezo 11y ago
"Google’s public-relations team expressed discomfort that Alphabet would be associated with a push into humanoid robotics".
Observe the Innovator's Dilemma in effect: a successful company is putting too much emphasis on customers' current needs, and fails to adopt new technology or business models that will meet their unstated or future needs.
When realized, humanoid robotics will make the (self-driving or not) entire car industry seem like a quaint little side business.
- erikpukinskis 11y agoI'm skeptical of humanoid robotics. If we're talking about productivity, humanoids will never be competitive with purpose-optimized robots. A few suitcases full of robots of different sizes will outperform a humanoid at almost anything. Sex robots is one area where humanoids will be strong. But I think that's one area where a lot of humans will draw a line. Many humans won't even date someone with different skin color yet, let alone another species like a robot. There is maybe a marketing advantage in the fact that they look like people so they might be seen as more trustworthy or comfortable. But there's the uncanny valley thing too. And with the little robots people will already have gotten really comfortable with, like, their kitchen counter robot making them coffee and breakfast long before a compelling, affordable humanoid robot exists. I guess humanoids might make good spies if you can make them indistinguishable from people, but that's pretty sci-fi. And people who want to boss around a slave that has human feelings and stuff, but who don't like the idea of owning a human would be pretty into humanoids. But all of this seems like fairly niche interests to me?
- avar 11y agoYou're missing a few advantages: * Automatic ability to integrate into environments designed for humans. Think doorknobs, ladders etc. * All the advantages of legged locomotion over wheels. * Once you have legged locomotion down you might as well do it on two legs and add some arms, and voila you have a humanoid robots.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- new_hackers 11y agoYup totally agreed. I think "network-enabled mechanisms" much better describes the future. Internet-of-Things is a wider scope, the Internet-of-Machines are any device with the ability to perform work (i.e. apply a physical force through a distance)
- new_hackers 11y agoWhen realized, the robots that will make the (self-driving or not) entire car industry seem like a quaint little side business, will not look human.