4 ms·

The article doesn’t mention what it’s purpose is? Anyone know?

anonymfus 8y ago
It's supposed to be a platform users can mount their own hardware to and write software for. Its back is flat and contains mount points for custom hardware.
- dsfyu404ed 8y ago
  > Its back is flat and contains mount points for custom hardware. Well considering the specs... >The device weighs around 66 pounds and can operate for about 90 minutes on a charge. Per physics and current battery technology that run time probably falls off really quickly if you make it lug around any appreciable amount of weight. A general laborer costs the employer maybe $20/hr (all inclusive) in most settings. Except maybe in situations where the cost of an employee is artificially high (e.g a role that requires a bunch of certification/training in a union workplace working on a government contract where the actual job duties are fairly menial) I can't see a use case where this makes sense. I honestly have no idea what the use case for this is. Where can a $20k-ish robot that can carry around 30lb replace/supplement a person well enough to break even over its lifetime?
  - wastedhours 8y ago
    A couple of thoughts: - sell it to large businesses that have "innovation labs" based on "coolness", see their use cases and needs, and then double down on developing custom solutions for that. The whole issue with BD in a civilian sense has been as a solution looking for a problem. It might help find their problem with some in the wild. - battery life might not be a massive issue if they walk themselves back to the charging station and can auto-rotate as a pack. - I can't see the use case either, but perhaps attach a monitoring camera to the arm and have it perform remote inspections of aircraft? Guessing some kind of in-person work that could be done by a central operator, but needs a bit more autonomy/environment sensing than a glorified remote control car?
  - blisterpeanuts 8y ago
    Given some suitable attachments and add-ons, a device like this could be used to perform tasks in conditions too dangerous for a human, like inspecting a mining site full of toxic gas or radiation. Or could be used to retrieve/neutralize bombs. Or weaponize it and send it into a hostage/standoff situation. It might be adaptable for off-world robotic use cases such as exploration/mining/construction projects on the Moon and Mars. Robotics has endless possibilities. Unfortunately, some of them are evil. There's been talk about the potential to program a mobile robot to crash through your door and steal your valuables. Or snuff you. Scary stuff.
  - Retric 8y ago
    The most obvious use case is short security patrols around warehouses etc. A single night shift guard at 20$ / hour * 8 hours = 58k / year so having even 5 of these things could be a net savings over 2 years assuming a ~20k price tag. Flying drones seem like a better option for a many things but they have short battery life and significant weight limits. If these things can do 1 hour with 50 lbs over rough terrain that's probably very useful. Most off the wall use case? Renting them from Uhaul to help you move heavy boxes up and down stairs. Something of a mid way point between a moving company and doing it by yourself. 50$/day * 100 days a year puts break-even around 4-5 years and 50lbs up or down stairs for an hour before charging say ~3 hours a day could easily be worth 50$.
  - empath75 8y ago
    Mount a light machine gun and maybe a rocket or two and make a few tens of thousands of them and it doesn’t really matter if the battery runs out in 90 minutes. Just air drop them into an insurgency and give then orders to shoot anything that moves.
- John_KZ 8y ago
  Oh, that's great. Does anyone know how much .223 ammunition it can hold? Asking for a friend by the way.
zeth___ 8y ago
I'd buy one to carry my groceries.
Dirlewanger 8y ago
It's a shame the charge is only for 90 minutes. I could see this being somewhat of a novel packhorse for going camping or something. Throw some saddlebags on it and you're set. Not sure how to get it to follow you automatically though. Probably would have to write custom software and make it follow a Bluetooth signal on the person to follow.

It's supposed to be a platform users can mount their own hardware to and write software for. Its back is flat and contains mount points for custom hardware.

dsfyu404ed 8y ago
> Its back is flat and contains mount points for custom hardware. Well considering the specs... >The device weighs around 66 pounds and can operate for about 90 minutes on a charge. Per physics and current battery technology that run time probably falls off really quickly if you make it lug around any appreciable amount of weight. A general laborer costs the employer maybe $20/hr (all inclusive) in most settings. Except maybe in situations where the cost of an employee is artificially high (e.g a role that requires a bunch of certification/training in a union workplace working on a government contract where the actual job duties are fairly menial) I can't see a use case where this makes sense. I honestly have no idea what the use case for this is. Where can a $20k-ish robot that can carry around 30lb replace/supplement a person well enough to break even over its lifetime?
- wastedhours 8y ago
  A couple of thoughts: - sell it to large businesses that have "innovation labs" based on "coolness", see their use cases and needs, and then double down on developing custom solutions for that. The whole issue with BD in a civilian sense has been as a solution looking for a problem. It might help find their problem with some in the wild. - battery life might not be a massive issue if they walk themselves back to the charging station and can auto-rotate as a pack. - I can't see the use case either, but perhaps attach a monitoring camera to the arm and have it perform remote inspections of aircraft? Guessing some kind of in-person work that could be done by a central operator, but needs a bit more autonomy/environment sensing than a glorified remote control car?
- blisterpeanuts 8y ago
  Given some suitable attachments and add-ons, a device like this could be used to perform tasks in conditions too dangerous for a human, like inspecting a mining site full of toxic gas or radiation. Or could be used to retrieve/neutralize bombs. Or weaponize it and send it into a hostage/standoff situation. It might be adaptable for off-world robotic use cases such as exploration/mining/construction projects on the Moon and Mars. Robotics has endless possibilities. Unfortunately, some of them are evil. There's been talk about the potential to program a mobile robot to crash through your door and steal your valuables. Or snuff you. Scary stuff.
- Retric 8y ago
  The most obvious use case is short security patrols around warehouses etc. A single night shift guard at 20$ / hour * 8 hours = 58k / year so having even 5 of these things could be a net savings over 2 years assuming a ~20k price tag. Flying drones seem like a better option for a many things but they have short battery life and significant weight limits. If these things can do 1 hour with 50 lbs over rough terrain that's probably very useful. Most off the wall use case? Renting them from Uhaul to help you move heavy boxes up and down stairs. Something of a mid way point between a moving company and doing it by yourself. 50$/day * 100 days a year puts break-even around 4-5 years and 50lbs up or down stairs for an hour before charging say ~3 hours a day could easily be worth 50$.
- empath75 8y ago
  Mount a light machine gun and maybe a rocket or two and make a few tens of thousands of them and it doesn’t really matter if the battery runs out in 90 minutes. Just air drop them into an insurgency and give then orders to shoot anything that moves.
John_KZ 8y ago
Oh, that's great. Does anyone know how much .223 ammunition it can hold? Asking for a friend by the way.

zeth___ 8y ago

I'd buy one to carry my groceries.

Dirlewanger 8y ago

It's a shame the charge is only for 90 minutes. I could see this being somewhat of a novel packhorse for going camping or something. Throw some saddlebags on it and you're set. Not sure how to get it to follow you automatically though. Probably would have to write custom software and make it follow a Bluetooth signal on the person to follow.