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> The only real purpose I can see for these things is being able to travel quickly in rough terrain This reminds me of the (alleged) Tom Watson quote: "I think

> The only real purpose I can see for these things is being able to travel quickly in rough terrain This reminds me of the (alleged) Tom Watson quote: "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." These robots will be everywhere in twenty years. The cost and the software aren't there yet, but it's only a matter of time. Flexibility and time to market will beat purpose-built robots in many cases once the cost comes down. Many purpose-built factories will disappear. Local, distributed generalist factories will spring up, staffed by robots. Drones and autonomous vehicles will deliver "hand-crafted" products directly to customers. With autonomous vehicles poised to replace the most common job in the majority of U.S. states -- truck driver -- we're on the verge of massive systemic changes. That's at best. At worst, with economic and political tensions already high, we'll get violence and bloodshed on a global scale.

spurgu 6y ago
> This reminds me of the (alleged) Tom Watson quote: "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." These robots will be everywhere in twenty years. The cost and the software aren't there yet, but it's only a matter of time. Hitting the nail on the head here. I've been following Boston Dynamics for the past 10 years and it's just amazing the progress they've made and it's going to get augmented massively with better battery technology and ML/AI. No doubt in my mind these types of robots will be everywhere in 20 years as you say.
- Stevvo 6y ago
  "it's going to get augmented massively with better battery technology and ML/AI." Boston Dynamics do not and will not use ML/AI in any of their robots.
  - spurgu 6y ago
    Perhaps they (or Hyundai) won't, but someone else for sure will.
mabbo 6y ago
> These robots will be everywhere in twenty years. Doing what? What can a generalist robot do that a task specific robot can't do better, faster, and cheaper? I'll be happy to be wrong- they're really neat- but I spent 7 years in the Operations tech division at Amazon, working in warehouses especially, and I don't see any need for these robots vs alternative options.
- Ajedi32 6y ago
  > What can a generalist robot do that a task specific robot can't do better, faster, and cheaper? Nothing. And everything. Nothing, because no matter what task the generalist robot is assigned to, it'll always be theoretically possible to design a custom-built specialist robot that's better at that one task. Everything, because no matter how much better your sock-drawer-organizing robot is at organizing socks, it'll never be able fold my clothes or make my bed or clean my windows like the generalist robot can. I'm not going to purchase thousands of different robots for thousands of different tasks when I can just buy one that will do all of them.
  - spurgu 6y ago
    Also, while human labor is cheap and energy-efficient it's not ok to have slaves anymore, so multi-purpose robots will surely have niches to fill.

spurgu 6y ago

> This reminds me of the (alleged) Tom Watson quote: "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." These robots will be everywhere in twenty years. The cost and the software aren't there yet, but it's only a matter of time. Hitting the nail on the head here. I've been following Boston Dynamics for the past 10 years and it's just amazing the progress they've made and it's going to get augmented massively with better battery technology and ML/AI. No doubt in my mind these types of robots will be everywhere in 20 years as you say.

Stevvo 6y ago
"it's going to get augmented massively with better battery technology and ML/AI." Boston Dynamics do not and will not use ML/AI in any of their robots.
- spurgu 6y ago
  Perhaps they (or Hyundai) won't, but someone else for sure will.

mabbo 6y ago

> These robots will be everywhere in twenty years. Doing what? What can a generalist robot do that a task specific robot can't do better, faster, and cheaper? I'll be happy to be wrong- they're really neat- but I spent 7 years in the Operations tech division at Amazon, working in warehouses especially, and I don't see any need for these robots vs alternative options.

Ajedi32 6y ago
> What can a generalist robot do that a task specific robot can't do better, faster, and cheaper? Nothing. And everything. Nothing, because no matter what task the generalist robot is assigned to, it'll always be theoretically possible to design a custom-built specialist robot that's better at that one task. Everything, because no matter how much better your sock-drawer-organizing robot is at organizing socks, it'll never be able fold my clothes or make my bed or clean my windows like the generalist robot can. I'm not going to purchase thousands of different robots for thousands of different tasks when I can just buy one that will do all of them.
- spurgu 6y ago
  Also, while human labor is cheap and energy-efficient it's not ok to have slaves anymore, so multi-purpose robots will surely have niches to fill.