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Is there any business working on remote controlled robots or is everyone only focused on AI? Seems like you could probably find a lot of cheap labor if they ca

Is there any business working on remote controlled robots or is everyone only focused on AI? Seems like you could probably find a lot of cheap labor if they can control the robot from their house.

farleykr 4y ago
Why though? I don’t have an issue with your question or the idea of people remotely controlling pressure washers but whats the case for automation over elbow grease? Why do we always feel the need to automate and optimize instead of just being happy with things taking time and being difficult?
- Karsteski 4y ago
  Because instead we can delegate tasks that no one wants to do to robots, machinery and computers, and instead focus human labour and brain power on other things. Which is how we got to the point that we are at in the first place.
  - Barrin92 4y ago
    the reality is somewhat more complicated than that. Every time you outsource something you also lose a means to exercise your brain power or your physical body. It's why many of us are in decidedly worse shape than some of our ancestors. There's a company in the Netherlands that makes mechanical rather than electric lifts[1] that involves human action. One result, people who use them are less frail and sick. It's a technology that augments rather than replaces the human body. And there's a big difference between the two. We got to where we are because a lot of the things we built have aided us and increased human potential, not diminished it. Even a gun which can be used for good or bad ultimately leaves decision making to someone with a brain. Putting that gun on a robot and even giving the ability to make a decision up? That's a very different kind of technology. [1]https://www.vertiwalk.com/ https://www.vertiwalk.com/
- candiddevmike 4y ago
  My point is AI to control a robot to pick strawberries is way more of a leap than someone picking strawberries by remote controlling a robot.
  - farleykr 4y ago
    Right, but why not just go out in the field and pick strawberries instead of trying to involve AI and robots? To me this is an area where Ian Malcom’s point about can/should applies.
    - candiddevmike 4y ago
      Because as this article shows, there is a large number of folks who would consider doing this type of work remotely but would not do it in person? Because it would enable folks who are handicapped to do this kind of work? Because it's simpler to do than perfecting an AI (hell you could train an AI based on this work)?
      - farleykr 4y ago
        I am totally onboard with helping folks who are handicapped and addressing other issues of disadvantage or injustice. My point is that I don't think it would be useful to try to make the act of strawberry picking itself easier.
        riversflow 4y ago
        Berry farming in Calfornia is rapidly disappearing because our cost of living is so high it makes it more economical to ship year round from Chile. Many other crops will likely follow, at least according to a friend in agricultural finance. Medium term, as the global QoL increases the cost of labor for intensive crops are going make our diets very bland without further mechanization. Fruit picking is monotonous and back breaking work that pays absolutely miserably. That we have to import labor to do it, and even imported labor complains and strikes about pay says a lot.
    - 4y ago
- allendoerfer 4y ago
  You are on Hacker News. Wikipedia says: A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means.
  - farleykr 4y ago
    Point taken. But that doesn't mean we can't challenge the idea that hacking is the right approach to any given idea that is posed on this website.
    - allendoerfer 4y ago
      Depends on whether your goal is to have fun/be a human being or to work towards our future as immortal explorers of the universe.
RedNifre 4y ago
That already exists, there are construction sites where excavators work 24/7, being remote controlled by people from different time zones, to not break work time laws.
- csense 4y ago
  > work time laws What place has a law that prevents you from hiring three sets of locals to work three different 8-hour shifts?
  - micromacrofoot 4y ago
    > What place has a law that prevents you from hiring three sets of locals to work three different 8-hour shifts? You hire 2 people to work 12-hour shifts. The machine is moving in your country, but the employees work somewhere (and for someone else) with lax labor laws.
    - lupire 4y ago
      OK but that's not much related to work time laws, that's related to work pay laws and market conditions. The benefit of squeezing away the lunch break isn't important to an overall job.
Cthulhu_ 4y ago
It's coming / happening, there's Japanese elderly people operating welcoming / serving robots, military servicemen operating drones, and of course every operator job in your power plant and whatnot is that kind of work.
wccrawford 4y ago
While I'm sure there's some truth to that, a lot of the "mundane chore" games are fun because they remove the un-fun parts, like having a boss, being required to do things on a schedule, and not being allow to screw things up. Even just having the threat of being fired over your head is enough to make those chores not be fun, even without all the other stresses.
- NateEag 4y ago
  Yep, this tracks. My wife and I have been playing co-op Stardew Valley lately, and while it's a "farming sim", most of the ugly parts of farming are conveniently left out: * cleaning up animal poop * spreading animal poop on fields * slaughtering animals / pest control * working with deadly tools like power take-offs * competing with giant factory farms [though we just finished the first in-game year, so maybe Joja Corp will start having that effect in future years] Almost the essence of game design is "oversimplifying life in a way that makes it fun while leaving the player with meaningful connections to their reality".
  - Otternonsenz 4y ago
    I can tell you from the farm my wife and I operate (currently in our 7th in game year), you will eventually become the giant factory farm to get to the end game. But that’s why I love Stardew Valley in a different way than my wife. It hits the comfy aspect for her, a light dating sim, plus the combat is light enough that she’s gotten good at it there than she does in other games. For me, I get to optimize farm layout and selling strategies (like me realizing after all this time in-game that Slime Eggs are a high dollar item and totally should have gotten a slime hutch much sooner)
lupire 4y ago
You also need a robot delivery robot as well as an underclass of cheaper foreign labor.

Is there any business working on remote controlled robots or is everyone only focused on AI? Seems like you could probably find a lot of cheap labor if they can control the robot from their house.

farleykr 4y ago

Why though? I don’t have an issue with your question or the idea of people remotely controlling pressure washers but whats the case for automation over elbow grease? Why do we always feel the need to automate and optimize instead of just being happy with things taking time and being difficult?

Karsteski 4y ago
Because instead we can delegate tasks that no one wants to do to robots, machinery and computers, and instead focus human labour and brain power on other things. Which is how we got to the point that we are at in the first place.
- Barrin92 4y ago
  the reality is somewhat more complicated than that. Every time you outsource something you also lose a means to exercise your brain power or your physical body. It's why many of us are in decidedly worse shape than some of our ancestors. There's a company in the Netherlands that makes mechanical rather than electric lifts[1] that involves human action. One result, people who use them are less frail and sick. It's a technology that augments rather than replaces the human body. And there's a big difference between the two. We got to where we are because a lot of the things we built have aided us and increased human potential, not diminished it. Even a gun which can be used for good or bad ultimately leaves decision making to someone with a brain. Putting that gun on a robot and even giving the ability to make a decision up? That's a very different kind of technology. [1]https://www.vertiwalk.com/ https://www.vertiwalk.com/
candiddevmike 4y ago
My point is AI to control a robot to pick strawberries is way more of a leap than someone picking strawberries by remote controlling a robot.
- farleykr 4y ago
  Right, but why not just go out in the field and pick strawberries instead of trying to involve AI and robots? To me this is an area where Ian Malcom’s point about can/should applies.
  - candiddevmike 4y ago
    Because as this article shows, there is a large number of folks who would consider doing this type of work remotely but would not do it in person? Because it would enable folks who are handicapped to do this kind of work? Because it's simpler to do than perfecting an AI (hell you could train an AI based on this work)?
    - farleykr 4y ago
      I am totally onboard with helping folks who are handicapped and addressing other issues of disadvantage or injustice. My point is that I don't think it would be useful to try to make the act of strawberry picking itself easier.
      - riversflow 4y ago
        Berry farming in Calfornia is rapidly disappearing because our cost of living is so high it makes it more economical to ship year round from Chile. Many other crops will likely follow, at least according to a friend in agricultural finance. Medium term, as the global QoL increases the cost of labor for intensive crops are going make our diets very bland without further mechanization. Fruit picking is monotonous and back breaking work that pays absolutely miserably. That we have to import labor to do it, and even imported labor complains and strikes about pay says a lot.
  - 4y ago
allendoerfer 4y ago
You are on Hacker News. Wikipedia says: A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means.
- farleykr 4y ago
  Point taken. But that doesn't mean we can't challenge the idea that hacking is the right approach to any given idea that is posed on this website.
  - allendoerfer 4y ago
    Depends on whether your goal is to have fun/be a human being or to work towards our future as immortal explorers of the universe.

RedNifre 4y ago

That already exists, there are construction sites where excavators work 24/7, being remote controlled by people from different time zones, to not break work time laws.

csense 4y ago
> work time laws What place has a law that prevents you from hiring three sets of locals to work three different 8-hour shifts?
- micromacrofoot 4y ago
  > What place has a law that prevents you from hiring three sets of locals to work three different 8-hour shifts? You hire 2 people to work 12-hour shifts. The machine is moving in your country, but the employees work somewhere (and for someone else) with lax labor laws.
  - lupire 4y ago
    OK but that's not much related to work time laws, that's related to work pay laws and market conditions. The benefit of squeezing away the lunch break isn't important to an overall job.

Cthulhu_ 4y ago

It's coming / happening, there's Japanese elderly people operating welcoming / serving robots, military servicemen operating drones, and of course every operator job in your power plant and whatnot is that kind of work.

wccrawford 4y ago

While I'm sure there's some truth to that, a lot of the "mundane chore" games are fun because they remove the un-fun parts, like having a boss, being required to do things on a schedule, and not being allow to screw things up. Even just having the threat of being fired over your head is enough to make those chores not be fun, even without all the other stresses.

NateEag 4y ago
Yep, this tracks. My wife and I have been playing co-op Stardew Valley lately, and while it's a "farming sim", most of the ugly parts of farming are conveniently left out: * cleaning up animal poop * spreading animal poop on fields * slaughtering animals / pest control * working with deadly tools like power take-offs * competing with giant factory farms [though we just finished the first in-game year, so maybe Joja Corp will start having that effect in future years] Almost the essence of game design is "oversimplifying life in a way that makes it fun while leaving the player with meaningful connections to their reality".
- Otternonsenz 4y ago
  I can tell you from the farm my wife and I operate (currently in our 7th in game year), you will eventually become the giant factory farm to get to the end game. But that’s why I love Stardew Valley in a different way than my wife. It hits the comfy aspect for her, a light dating sim, plus the combat is light enough that she’s gotten good at it there than she does in other games. For me, I get to optimize farm layout and selling strategies (like me realizing after all this time in-game that Slime Eggs are a high dollar item and totally should have gotten a slime hutch much sooner)

lupire 4y ago

You also need a robot delivery robot as well as an underclass of cheaper foreign labor.