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Years ago I worked in a startup also trying to develop such robots, to care for both disabled and elderly people. We were too early, but alas. The complaint th
by ragebol 4y ago
Years ago I worked in a startup also trying to develop such robots, to care for both disabled and elderly people. We were too early, but alas.
The complaint this would increase loneliness was often heard, mostly by the human caretakers employed by the care homes we were testing in.
Especially the younger disabled people did not have much issue with the robots: they hoped to get a way to be more independent. Friends & family enough to not be lonely anyways.
And sometimes you just want to get a drink, grab a dropped pen or go to the bathroom without needing to push a button and wait for someone to come help you.
IIRC, this held true for the elderly as well, to a lesser extent. Ideally, robot clear up time from menial, mechanical labor to offer more social interaction to avoid loneliness. This is far off though and our world is far from ideal...
- version_five 4y agoIdeally, robot clear up time from menial, mechanical labor to offer more social interaction to avoid loneliness. This is far off though and our world is far from ideal... That has never happened in the history of "efficiency", it's a lie people use to pretend that jobs won't be cut. What actually happens is the savings are repurposed for administrative bloat.
- ragebol 4y agoOur dishwasher, washing machine and vacuum robot have all given my wife and I more quality time with our kids and ourselves.
- layer8 4y agoAnd, to the GPs point, they obsoleted the job of a housemaid that well-off (and even not-so-well-off) families used to employ a hundred years ago or so.
- smolder 4y agoIt could be argued that those modern conveniences just made it possible for both parents in a family to work. Nowadays, dual full time income is normal.
- Analemma_ 4y agoThey didn't, though. What they actually did was allow your wife to have the second full-time job which is now required in order to own a home.
- thombat 4y agoStill makes them a benefit to that family: if his wife was at home doing more housework the 1920s way then they wouldn't have the same house.