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Definitely an amazing tech given the tight budget but I struggle to see the appeal beyond pleasing my curious engineer mind. Any idea how such robot could be of

Definitely an amazing tech given the tight budget but I struggle to see the appeal beyond pleasing my curious engineer mind. Any idea how such robot could be of any use for a “normal” private citizen (beyond carrying my water bottle while running)?

f38zf5vdt 5y ago
Excellent replacement for a security guard. If power consumption is low when not in motion, they can patrol, pause for a short time, watch their cameras, then move to a new position. Most aerial drones have to hover to patrol, which would make power consumption dramatically increase.
- neartheplain 5y ago
  Knightscope has tried to deliver this (security guard mobile robot) for years, with decidedly mixed results: >In December 2017, the San Francisco SPCA rented a Knightscope K5 robot to patrol the area next to their animal shelter, including the public sidewalk, to deter vandalism. The SPCA received complaints about using a robot on a public sidewalk where homeless people were encamped, and the robot was covered with a tarpaulin and smeared with barbecue sauce; the SPCA discontinued the contract. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knightscope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knightscope
  - lostlogin 5y ago
    > the robot was covered with a tarpaulin and smeared with barbecue sauce A seasoned veteran. This is going to be a problem everywhere as robots are rolled out - people don’t like them.
    - tailspin2019 5y ago
      > This is going to be a problem everywhere as robots are rolled out - people don’t like them. Yeah this is a big problem, especially for unaccompanied autonomous robots. I’m very bullish on this stuff in technological progress terms, but I’d still dislike seeing these things on the street unaccompanied. At best you’re being remotely recorded/streamed/observed/stalked by some anonymous remote operator (and the internet has taught us a lot about what human behaviour is like when there is total anonymity). At worst it’s packed with explosives. I’m not sure how we deal with this issue. I guess there will be a big difference between how accompanied vs unaccompanied robots will be viewed. A bit like a large dog wondering about on its own would be treated with a lot more caution than one accompanied by its owner!
      - gcheong 5y ago
        Might work well as a patrol of private property in a “release the hounds” kind of way.
    - anonydsfsfs 5y ago
      People don't like security guard robots that look like security guard robots. There's an easy answer to that: make it cute. I don't have any hard numbers, but I'd be willing to bet people are much less likely to vandalize a robot that looks like Wall-E than one that looks like ED-209, even if they do exactly the same thing.
squarefoot 5y ago
Social ladder climbing for rich kids? Buy groceries and bring them home one pack at a time? If it can self recharge It would probably make some sense for patrolling property and report suspicious movement. To do that however it should be 100% trustworthy, that is, no mysterious Internet connections to phone home, no closed phone apps, etc. and the user should be able to integrate it with any video surveillance system in place, program it extensively from the paths to follow to associating sensors signals to events, alerts etc. That way it could also become useable aside the fact that it is indeed an engineering marvel. Another possible use is helping blind people to walk around, however to do that it should become good at leading by finding the right path, not just following an human.
- spicybright 5y ago
  A $2700 robot with a handle seems like a good thing to steal.
mlang23 5y ago
I'd be seriously interested in it as a mobility aid, as a "replacement" for a guide dog. Could be useful to some types of users. But yes, thats not really the average guy... I guess it is like with Alexa. First, there is the product, users will find usecases for it, and they will try fucking hard to legitimize their own investment.
renewiltord 5y ago
Companionship with lower maintenance cost. The diversity of behavior is the problem but perhaps with the advances in neural nets we will get the behavior people desire in pets: * unpredictable behavior within boundaries * possible to alter behavior through repeated action (training) * diversity of response to novel stimuli Ultimately, what is it about a dog that makes it lovable? If we can replicate that and exploit the human desire to personify and love anything, we could create pets with intermediate intelligence and I think many people would enjoy that. The actual product risk, I think, is making the robotic pet too useful. I suspect that would transform the pet into a tool. For instance, a robotic pet that reacts strangely and hides before the human owner detects a thunderstorm is far preferable to one which (using its link to the Internet) says “Thunderstorm approaching; batten down storm shutters” The imperfection of understanding and the fact that the pet is a net cost center are two things that I think are crucial to mass market robotic pet adoption among those who desire companionship.
- reedjosh 5y ago
  I personally would want companionship with something squishy and biologic. The idea that I'd be relying on something built and designed is extremely off putting. It's masturbation vs sex, video games vs life, humanity vs borg-like collectivism. If your friends are going to be machines, why not plug into a matrix like virtual reality where you can just live out your wildest dreams? Well, because it's fake. To me, nothing has meaning without the constraints of reality and relationships to other biologic beings. That said, I suppose there may be a day when machines are even more sentient than I. Still, until I'm convinced there is a 'ghost in the shell', I just don't want it. But then fooling humans into believing that about a robot dog is kinda your point I suppose. I just don't see the need other than some tech cos profit, and I find replacing a real dog with a contrived copy a bit cold.
- lukestevens 5y ago
  Not sure why you’re being downvoted — many people would and indeed did find that useful vis a vis Sony’s Aibo. In fact, when those robotic dogs became unrepairable, some people would have a funeral for them: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/03/japan-robot-dogs-get-solemn-buddhist-send-off-at-funerals https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/03/japan-robot-do... Many of the dogs are accompanied by notes written by their former owners. “I feel relieved to know there will be a prayer for my Aibo,” one said. Another wrote: “Please help other Aibos. My eyes filled with tears when I decided to say goodbye.”
shonenknifefan1 5y ago
I think that if it can carry a water bottle, then it could carry a meal. The dog robots could automate restaurant food delivery for short range delivery in cities. They could possibly even climb stairs to reach walk up apartments.
- scrose 5y ago
  In cities like NYC, I don’t think you’d see any buildings accept robots carrying unidentified packages in, at least within the next couple decades. Considering people also still often steal iPhones and other electronics to pawn off, I can imagine this device would be the equivalent of a completely unaccompanied several thousand dollar iPhone on legs to a thief.
  - lifeformed 5y ago
    Hmm, maybe you could have some anti-theft system if it can detect it's being "kidnapped", by recording video/audio of the thief, and transmitting GPS and phoning a security service. Although I guess you could still capture it by throwing a blanket over it and putting it in a faraday cage.
    - mattigames 5y ago
      But you can still detect exactly where it was robbed, and if the robots of each restaurant chain have a distinctive shape people would know it was stolen, reducing the likelihood of reselling it.
      - ALittleLight 5y ago
        Robot chop shops? There might be some value in reselling the batteries alone.
        mattigames 5y ago
        Make it all a custom single piece, so even the battery is no good for anything except for this model of robot.
tejtm 5y ago
it could take your meat dog out for a walk for you
- dane-pgp 5y ago
  A man's best friend's best friend.
- tootie 5y ago
  Or chasing a toddler around the park?
- King-Aaron 5y ago
  > meat dog I love that in the future this will be a distinction which will have to be made
zardo 5y ago
That sort of thing (all terrain porter) could be a compelling use case, but with such a short range and payload, probably not for very many people.
uniqueid 5y ago
It reminds me of the first home computers in the late 1970s. The product is not yet very useful, but attractive because home products like it soon will be.
singularity2001 5y ago
it is missing a "mouth"/grabber.

f38zf5vdt 5y ago

Excellent replacement for a security guard. If power consumption is low when not in motion, they can patrol, pause for a short time, watch their cameras, then move to a new position. Most aerial drones have to hover to patrol, which would make power consumption dramatically increase.

neartheplain 5y ago
Knightscope has tried to deliver this (security guard mobile robot) for years, with decidedly mixed results: >In December 2017, the San Francisco SPCA rented a Knightscope K5 robot to patrol the area next to their animal shelter, including the public sidewalk, to deter vandalism. The SPCA received complaints about using a robot on a public sidewalk where homeless people were encamped, and the robot was covered with a tarpaulin and smeared with barbecue sauce; the SPCA discontinued the contract. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knightscope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knightscope
- lostlogin 5y ago
  > the robot was covered with a tarpaulin and smeared with barbecue sauce A seasoned veteran. This is going to be a problem everywhere as robots are rolled out - people don’t like them.
  - tailspin2019 5y ago
    > This is going to be a problem everywhere as robots are rolled out - people don’t like them. Yeah this is a big problem, especially for unaccompanied autonomous robots. I’m very bullish on this stuff in technological progress terms, but I’d still dislike seeing these things on the street unaccompanied. At best you’re being remotely recorded/streamed/observed/stalked by some anonymous remote operator (and the internet has taught us a lot about what human behaviour is like when there is total anonymity). At worst it’s packed with explosives. I’m not sure how we deal with this issue. I guess there will be a big difference between how accompanied vs unaccompanied robots will be viewed. A bit like a large dog wondering about on its own would be treated with a lot more caution than one accompanied by its owner!
    - gcheong 5y ago
      Might work well as a patrol of private property in a “release the hounds” kind of way.
  - anonydsfsfs 5y ago
    People don't like security guard robots that look like security guard robots. There's an easy answer to that: make it cute. I don't have any hard numbers, but I'd be willing to bet people are much less likely to vandalize a robot that looks like Wall-E than one that looks like ED-209, even if they do exactly the same thing.

squarefoot 5y ago

Social ladder climbing for rich kids? Buy groceries and bring them home one pack at a time? If it can self recharge It would probably make some sense for patrolling property and report suspicious movement. To do that however it should be 100% trustworthy, that is, no mysterious Internet connections to phone home, no closed phone apps, etc. and the user should be able to integrate it with any video surveillance system in place, program it extensively from the paths to follow to associating sensors signals to events, alerts etc. That way it could also become useable aside the fact that it is indeed an engineering marvel. Another possible use is helping blind people to walk around, however to do that it should become good at leading by finding the right path, not just following an human.

spicybright 5y ago
A $2700 robot with a handle seems like a good thing to steal.

mlang23 5y ago

I'd be seriously interested in it as a mobility aid, as a "replacement" for a guide dog. Could be useful to some types of users. But yes, thats not really the average guy... I guess it is like with Alexa. First, there is the product, users will find usecases for it, and they will try fucking hard to legitimize their own investment.

renewiltord 5y ago

Companionship with lower maintenance cost. The diversity of behavior is the problem but perhaps with the advances in neural nets we will get the behavior people desire in pets: * unpredictable behavior within boundaries * possible to alter behavior through repeated action (training) * diversity of response to novel stimuli Ultimately, what is it about a dog that makes it lovable? If we can replicate that and exploit the human desire to personify and love anything, we could create pets with intermediate intelligence and I think many people would enjoy that. The actual product risk, I think, is making the robotic pet too useful. I suspect that would transform the pet into a tool. For instance, a robotic pet that reacts strangely and hides before the human owner detects a thunderstorm is far preferable to one which (using its link to the Internet) says “Thunderstorm approaching; batten down storm shutters” The imperfection of understanding and the fact that the pet is a net cost center are two things that I think are crucial to mass market robotic pet adoption among those who desire companionship.

reedjosh 5y ago
I personally would want companionship with something squishy and biologic. The idea that I'd be relying on something built and designed is extremely off putting. It's masturbation vs sex, video games vs life, humanity vs borg-like collectivism. If your friends are going to be machines, why not plug into a matrix like virtual reality where you can just live out your wildest dreams? Well, because it's fake. To me, nothing has meaning without the constraints of reality and relationships to other biologic beings. That said, I suppose there may be a day when machines are even more sentient than I. Still, until I'm convinced there is a 'ghost in the shell', I just don't want it. But then fooling humans into believing that about a robot dog is kinda your point I suppose. I just don't see the need other than some tech cos profit, and I find replacing a real dog with a contrived copy a bit cold.
lukestevens 5y ago
Not sure why you’re being downvoted — many people would and indeed did find that useful vis a vis Sony’s Aibo. In fact, when those robotic dogs became unrepairable, some people would have a funeral for them: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/03/japan-robot-dogs-get-solemn-buddhist-send-off-at-funerals https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/03/japan-robot-do... Many of the dogs are accompanied by notes written by their former owners. “I feel relieved to know there will be a prayer for my Aibo,” one said. Another wrote: “Please help other Aibos. My eyes filled with tears when I decided to say goodbye.”

shonenknifefan1 5y ago

I think that if it can carry a water bottle, then it could carry a meal. The dog robots could automate restaurant food delivery for short range delivery in cities. They could possibly even climb stairs to reach walk up apartments.

scrose 5y ago
In cities like NYC, I don’t think you’d see any buildings accept robots carrying unidentified packages in, at least within the next couple decades. Considering people also still often steal iPhones and other electronics to pawn off, I can imagine this device would be the equivalent of a completely unaccompanied several thousand dollar iPhone on legs to a thief.
- lifeformed 5y ago
  Hmm, maybe you could have some anti-theft system if it can detect it's being "kidnapped", by recording video/audio of the thief, and transmitting GPS and phoning a security service. Although I guess you could still capture it by throwing a blanket over it and putting it in a faraday cage.
  - mattigames 5y ago
    But you can still detect exactly where it was robbed, and if the robots of each restaurant chain have a distinctive shape people would know it was stolen, reducing the likelihood of reselling it.
    - ALittleLight 5y ago
      Robot chop shops? There might be some value in reselling the batteries alone.
      - mattigames 5y ago
        Make it all a custom single piece, so even the battery is no good for anything except for this model of robot.

tejtm 5y ago

it could take your meat dog out for a walk for you

dane-pgp 5y ago
A man's best friend's best friend.
tootie 5y ago
Or chasing a toddler around the park?
King-Aaron 5y ago
> meat dog I love that in the future this will be a distinction which will have to be made

zardo 5y ago

That sort of thing (all terrain porter) could be a compelling use case, but with such a short range and payload, probably not for very many people.

uniqueid 5y ago

It reminds me of the first home computers in the late 1970s. The product is not yet very useful, but attractive because home products like it soon will be.

singularity2001 5y ago

it is missing a "mouth"/grabber.