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I also can't imagine a home robotics use case that I would get excited over. Can anyone think of anything? I would guess any new product would be more complex,

I also can't imagine a home robotics use case that I would get excited over. Can anyone think of anything? I would guess any new product would be more complex, less efficient, and a security risk. It'll be cool and trendy for a few months and then die off. Just like the Alexa and Google speakers that can tell you the weather or adjust your lights...is it REALLY that useful outside of entertaining your nieces and nephews? My guess is that they'll make some revenue from collecting user data and selling it to data brokers or something. Edit: someone below said laundry folding robot. I'd see that as useful.

ravelfan 3y ago
We need a word/concept for technology that has just slightly more utility than a Minsky/Shannon's useless machine but that small amount of utility obfuscates the actual uselessness of the technology.
rustcleaner 3y ago
>I also can't imagine a home robotics use case that I would get excited over. Well, there's always the all-in-one washer/dryer combo which also does auto-foldi... >Edit: someone below said laundry folding robot. I'd see that as useful. I mean there is the automated chef kitchen machine the size of a large fridge which cooks dozens of meals which all intersect with the unit-prepared ingredients. Essentially a compact home version of what you'll all soon be seeing at fast food joints all over. I myself am flipping out about Flippy™!
exe34 3y ago
I imagine an ageing population with social isolation might be the golden ticket for this kind of work.
nostromo 3y ago
I'm shocked by your comment. Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. Of course, these are very hard problems to take on -- much harder than a "smart" light switch -- but the market is absolutely there.
- ikekkdcjkfke 3y ago
  Everything that can be automated, should be automated
- CharlieDigital 3y ago
  > Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. We are far, far away from any of the remaining tedious parts of those things being done competently by a robot. - Dishes: dishwashers already do the majority of the labor intensive part. - Laundry: the washer already does the labor intensive part. - Mowing: if you don't trust robot cars, you shouldn't trust a moving robot with blades attached. - Taking out the trash: I don't see buying a multi-thousand dollar robot to save me the 20 seconds it takes to walk the garbage out. Even robot vacuums are kinda terrible.
  - fragmede 3y ago
    How far is "far far away" to you? The recent robot demos (linked below) make me thing it's not that far off. I think within my lifetime, certainly. Within the decade, at most. I expect someone to announce something concrete within a couple of years. https://www.figure.ai/ https://www.figure.ai/ https://wholebody-b1.github.io/ https://wholebody-b1.github.io/ https://ok-robot.github.io/ https://ok-robot.github.io/ https://mobile-aloha.github.io/ https://mobile-aloha.github.io/
    - CharlieDigital 3y ago
      Are those supposed to convince me that spending thousands on a robot will make my life measurably better? Because they're not; the exact opposite in fact. That Spot missing the shoe on the first grab, being loud, and taking up more space than a German Shepard (without the floofy companionship) is case in point how far away we are.
      - fragmede 3y ago
        I not sure why you think I'm trying to convince you that you should spend any of your money on something you don't want.
burkaman 3y ago
I don't personally find them exciting but robotic vacuum cleaners are pretty popular, I guess they could make an expensive one of those and be successful.
judah 3y ago
The company that builds a robot that can do household chores will be very, very rich. I want a bot that can do laundry (load washer, load dryer, fold, put away), do the dishes (rinse, put in dishwasher, put clean dishes away, wash pots & pans), vacuum floors, dust, clean up messes, empty garbage bins, take out the trash, mow my lawn, trim bushes, clean tables, mop floors, make meals, cleans toilets and sinks and bathrooms. Currently myself and my wife split these duties, and kids help a bit. But it's still a ton of work for us. I would love to offload all that and more to a robot.
- freitzkriesler2 3y ago
  Pretty much this. We pay a cleaning service for the privilege to vacuum and dust. A robot that does it for me that I can buy for $15k and last a decade? Id be all over it.
  - onlyrealcuzzo 3y ago
    Robots can already vacuum and mop floors pretty decently for <$2k. No one is building a robot to dust your antique china collection anytime soon.
    - freitzkriesler2 3y ago
      Meh those robots don't do a good job with young children . The amount of debris they have to work around isn't worth it.
- layer8 3y ago
  Human-sized robots (arguably needed for some of the tasks you list, being able to walk stairs, etc.) will be creepy due to how physically imposing they’ll be, and with a risk of being dangerous due to how massive they’ll need to be. For example falling over due to malfunction/collision/tripping, and potentially crushing a small child. I don’t see such a product happening for home use.
  - bobbylarrybobby 3y ago
Moto7451 3y ago
Food prep. There are already products for infants that will prep baby food. It’s harder to do something more complicated than that. Meal kit type meals that take grocery store ingredients as an input would likely do well with the well to do 30+ crowd that is in the middle of having kids and home remodels and is upset at how much delivery restaurant food they eat. I’m definitely not projecting ;). I think there’s likely a market for just the iBabyFood maker let along coming closer to an automated chef that’s “smarter” than buying a meal kit. My experience with smart vacuums is that the more “AI” they add to them the worse they get. I’ve switched brands a few times and have always preferred the dumber models. I’m sure old iPhone tech and some computer vision know how would make a “Roomba killer” possible but I don’t know how many people are going to by the Beats by Dre Vacuum. Maybe a lot? As things become more solarized a cross “platform” energy management system would be useful. Load controllers exist but often they’re tied to solar batteries or EVSEs. In my case I could avoid the cost of a panel update if there was a good system for load control that also wouldn’t upset my family. I.e. if they need to handle a transfer switch they will not be happy. More like, “if I’m running the jacuzzi and it’s winter, gate the AC but not the heat pump. If it’s summer gate the heat pump Aux heat but not the heat pump itself” Most load controllers are focused on making a generator or battery run critical loads and don’t really work for larger more electrified homes on 200A panels.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
hackable_sand 3y ago
Disability augments.

ravelfan 3y ago

We need a word/concept for technology that has just slightly more utility than a Minsky/Shannon's useless machine but that small amount of utility obfuscates the actual uselessness of the technology.

rustcleaner 3y ago

>I also can't imagine a home robotics use case that I would get excited over. Well, there's always the all-in-one washer/dryer combo which also does auto-foldi... >Edit: someone below said laundry folding robot. I'd see that as useful. I mean there is the automated chef kitchen machine the size of a large fridge which cooks dozens of meals which all intersect with the unit-prepared ingredients. Essentially a compact home version of what you'll all soon be seeing at fast food joints all over. I myself am flipping out about Flippy™!

exe34 3y ago

I imagine an ageing population with social isolation might be the golden ticket for this kind of work.

nostromo 3y ago

I'm shocked by your comment. Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. Of course, these are very hard problems to take on -- much harder than a "smart" light switch -- but the market is absolutely there.

ikekkdcjkfke 3y ago
Everything that can be automated, should be automated
CharlieDigital 3y ago
> Everyone that doesn't enjoy cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash would LOVE a home robot that really works. We are far, far away from any of the remaining tedious parts of those things being done competently by a robot. - Dishes: dishwashers already do the majority of the labor intensive part. - Laundry: the washer already does the labor intensive part. - Mowing: if you don't trust robot cars, you shouldn't trust a moving robot with blades attached. - Taking out the trash: I don't see buying a multi-thousand dollar robot to save me the 20 seconds it takes to walk the garbage out. Even robot vacuums are kinda terrible.
- fragmede 3y ago
  How far is "far far away" to you? The recent robot demos (linked below) make me thing it's not that far off. I think within my lifetime, certainly. Within the decade, at most. I expect someone to announce something concrete within a couple of years. https://www.figure.ai/ https://www.figure.ai/ https://wholebody-b1.github.io/ https://wholebody-b1.github.io/ https://ok-robot.github.io/ https://ok-robot.github.io/ https://mobile-aloha.github.io/ https://mobile-aloha.github.io/
  - CharlieDigital 3y ago
    Are those supposed to convince me that spending thousands on a robot will make my life measurably better? Because they're not; the exact opposite in fact. That Spot missing the shoe on the first grab, being loud, and taking up more space than a German Shepard (without the floofy companionship) is case in point how far away we are.
    - fragmede 3y ago
      I not sure why you think I'm trying to convince you that you should spend any of your money on something you don't want.

burkaman 3y ago

I don't personally find them exciting but robotic vacuum cleaners are pretty popular, I guess they could make an expensive one of those and be successful.

judah 3y ago

The company that builds a robot that can do household chores will be very, very rich. I want a bot that can do laundry (load washer, load dryer, fold, put away), do the dishes (rinse, put in dishwasher, put clean dishes away, wash pots & pans), vacuum floors, dust, clean up messes, empty garbage bins, take out the trash, mow my lawn, trim bushes, clean tables, mop floors, make meals, cleans toilets and sinks and bathrooms. Currently myself and my wife split these duties, and kids help a bit. But it's still a ton of work for us. I would love to offload all that and more to a robot.

freitzkriesler2 3y ago
Pretty much this. We pay a cleaning service for the privilege to vacuum and dust. A robot that does it for me that I can buy for $15k and last a decade? Id be all over it.
- onlyrealcuzzo 3y ago
  Robots can already vacuum and mop floors pretty decently for <$2k. No one is building a robot to dust your antique china collection anytime soon.
  - freitzkriesler2 3y ago
    Meh those robots don't do a good job with young children . The amount of debris they have to work around isn't worth it.
layer8 3y ago
Human-sized robots (arguably needed for some of the tasks you list, being able to walk stairs, etc.) will be creepy due to how physically imposing they’ll be, and with a risk of being dangerous due to how massive they’ll need to be. For example falling over due to malfunction/collision/tripping, and potentially crushing a small child. I don’t see such a product happening for home use.
- bobbylarrybobby 3y ago

Moto7451 3y ago

Food prep. There are already products for infants that will prep baby food. It’s harder to do something more complicated than that. Meal kit type meals that take grocery store ingredients as an input would likely do well with the well to do 30+ crowd that is in the middle of having kids and home remodels and is upset at how much delivery restaurant food they eat. I’m definitely not projecting ;). I think there’s likely a market for just the iBabyFood maker let along coming closer to an automated chef that’s “smarter” than buying a meal kit. My experience with smart vacuums is that the more “AI” they add to them the worse they get. I’ve switched brands a few times and have always preferred the dumber models. I’m sure old iPhone tech and some computer vision know how would make a “Roomba killer” possible but I don’t know how many people are going to by the Beats by Dre Vacuum. Maybe a lot? As things become more solarized a cross “platform” energy management system would be useful. Load controllers exist but often they’re tied to solar batteries or EVSEs. In my case I could avoid the cost of a panel update if there was a good system for load control that also wouldn’t upset my family. I.e. if they need to handle a transfer switch they will not be happy. More like, “if I’m running the jacuzzi and it’s winter, gate the AC but not the heat pump. If it’s summer gate the heat pump Aux heat but not the heat pump itself” Most load controllers are focused on making a generator or battery run critical loads and don’t really work for larger more electrified homes on 200A panels.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

hackable_sand 3y ago

Disability augments.