36 ms·

I think that people who would need something like this would also be at risk of falling when just walking around. There are no shortages of devices that allow s

I think that people who would need something like this would also be at risk of falling when just walking around. There are no shortages of devices that allow someone to call for help if they've fallen. And as for a rat chewing through a cord, the cords could be made from a material that rats don't find tasty, or the device could be made with cables rather than cords. With the cost of assisted-living being high and getting higher all the time, anything that helps people live in their own homes longer would be a big help.

syshum 5y ago
This is the Automate car debate all over again. Society is so risk adverse today that they do not want to allow anything that is not perfectly safe for 1000% of all situations that anyone can ever think of. This device that would make people lives better will likely be bogged down in 1000's of "safety" regulations around 1:1,000,000 chance events of "what if a rat chews on the cord , while at the same time a bird lands on the power cable that kills the power, while at the same time someone hits a utility pole taking out the phones.... Clearly this product is unsafe"....
- ocdtrekkie 5y ago
  On the contrary, I'd argue most people who would need this are just far better off moving to a single story residence. I live with an 87 year old, and every dang thing except clear open floor is a big risk. We don't need contraptions, we just needed a first floor accessible bathroom.
  - oneplane 5y ago
    When you are early 50's and you have MS, I don't think the same scenario applies. This isn't a solution for people who can't do most things, it's a solution for people who can almost do everything but have been disabled in some way. It used to be that the only solution would be a powered elevator system, but that was only because we had no alternative.
  - tornato7 5y ago
    That's like saying, "why do people even hear their house when they could just purchase a second home in the tropics instead?" It's not always feasible to buy a new house to solve a problem.
    - ocdtrekkie 5y ago
      We did not buy a new house. We did a renovation which is likely cheaper than this one.
      - borepop 5y ago
        This is the second HN thread I'm reading today where somebody's response to an article is "this is not a solution for me personally, so therefore it's not a good idea." Seems like a strange way to interpret information.
        ocdtrekkie 5y ago
        It is an anecdote, but it's also arguably a relevant point of: The cost of having someone able to live on one floor even with renovations is likely cheaper and safer than installing a novel transportation system.
  - mitchdoogle 5y ago
    I think elderly folks or disabled would very strongly prefer to stay where they are in the home they know and love rather than move. If that means adding contraptions, most of them will do so if they have the means

syshum 5y ago

This is the Automate car debate all over again. Society is so risk adverse today that they do not want to allow anything that is not perfectly safe for 1000% of all situations that anyone can ever think of. This device that would make people lives better will likely be bogged down in 1000's of "safety" regulations around 1:1,000,000 chance events of "what if a rat chews on the cord , while at the same time a bird lands on the power cable that kills the power, while at the same time someone hits a utility pole taking out the phones.... Clearly this product is unsafe"....

ocdtrekkie 5y ago
On the contrary, I'd argue most people who would need this are just far better off moving to a single story residence. I live with an 87 year old, and every dang thing except clear open floor is a big risk. We don't need contraptions, we just needed a first floor accessible bathroom.
- oneplane 5y ago
  When you are early 50's and you have MS, I don't think the same scenario applies. This isn't a solution for people who can't do most things, it's a solution for people who can almost do everything but have been disabled in some way. It used to be that the only solution would be a powered elevator system, but that was only because we had no alternative.
- tornato7 5y ago
  That's like saying, "why do people even hear their house when they could just purchase a second home in the tropics instead?" It's not always feasible to buy a new house to solve a problem.
  - ocdtrekkie 5y ago
    We did not buy a new house. We did a renovation which is likely cheaper than this one.
    - borepop 5y ago
      This is the second HN thread I'm reading today where somebody's response to an article is "this is not a solution for me personally, so therefore it's not a good idea." Seems like a strange way to interpret information.
      - ocdtrekkie 5y ago
        It is an anecdote, but it's also arguably a relevant point of: The cost of having someone able to live on one floor even with renovations is likely cheaper and safer than installing a novel transportation system.
- mitchdoogle 5y ago
  I think elderly folks or disabled would very strongly prefer to stay where they are in the home they know and love rather than move. If that means adding contraptions, most of them will do so if they have the means