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I strongly disagree. One of my pet peeves is the idea of asking the world to accommodate a situation rather than build solutions that adapt to the world. Big

by atonse 3y ago

I strongly disagree. One of my pet peeves is the idea of asking the world to accommodate a situation rather than build solutions that adapt to the world. Big example: the best we have for mobility nowadays is a wheelchair of some sort. That requires building special ramps and elevators everywhere. If we had a four legged chair that could climb stairs, etc, like what BD is doing, it could transport people ANYWHERE. you could literally go for a stroll in the woods with it. People that are injured for 6 weeks in their home could go up and down steps, etc. The elderly could go for walks in a park. So I for one fully support more research into smarter mobility that doesn’t require the world to accommodate it, but instead adjusts to its surroundings.

polygamous_bat 3y ago
> One of my pet peeves is the idea of asking the world to accommodate a situation rather than build solutions that adapt to the world. While I understand and respect the sentiment, in my opinion human history has been a trend in molding our environment to our advantage. I can drive to a remote hill in Bangladesh from the capital because there are roads that we humans built and maintain. If we kept molding to the environment, such an accomplishment would never be possible. So yeah, maybe mold to the environment a little bit, but also mold the environment a bit, is the ideal solution.
- dmd 3y ago
  > I can drive to a remote hill in Bangladesh from the capital You say this like it's a good thing.
  - polygamous_bat 3y ago
    I think this is an absolutely horrible thing for the environment. My point was to make a testament to the human will, and also to counter arguments that try to wield the cost of accessibility against people with disabilities. We could make a global network of ships, planes, and cars, so why is making a tiny ramp such a big deal afterwards?
Solvency 3y ago
it's hard enough for disabled people to get a non-shit wheel chair, you think the world is going to give them the most advanced quadripedal robotic walking system of all time for nature walks in the woods?
- atonse 3y ago
  You’re missing the context in which I replied. I was replying to parent’s sentiment of why build this kind of thing in the first place. I was providing an example of a benefit of this technology.
seydor 3y ago
> it could transport people ANYWHERE Not really, not fast nor convenient. Any machine will always add extra volume and weight in the most inconvenient ways. There should really be no limitation on the designs, just optimization under the constraints at hand
HarHarVeryFunny 3y ago
Segway make wheelchairs that are far more versatile than traditional ones. I'm not sure of the capabilities of their current commercial models, but years ago they had demo videos of them driving up steps and a scissor-like design whereby they could lift the occupant up to reach things.

by atonse 3y ago

polygamous_bat 3y ago

> One of my pet peeves is the idea of asking the world to accommodate a situation rather than build solutions that adapt to the world. While I understand and respect the sentiment, in my opinion human history has been a trend in molding our environment to our advantage. I can drive to a remote hill in Bangladesh from the capital because there are roads that we humans built and maintain. If we kept molding to the environment, such an accomplishment would never be possible. So yeah, maybe mold to the environment a little bit, but also mold the environment a bit, is the ideal solution.

dmd 3y ago
> I can drive to a remote hill in Bangladesh from the capital You say this like it's a good thing.
- polygamous_bat 3y ago
  I think this is an absolutely horrible thing for the environment. My point was to make a testament to the human will, and also to counter arguments that try to wield the cost of accessibility against people with disabilities. We could make a global network of ships, planes, and cars, so why is making a tiny ramp such a big deal afterwards?

Solvency 3y ago

it's hard enough for disabled people to get a non-shit wheel chair, you think the world is going to give them the most advanced quadripedal robotic walking system of all time for nature walks in the woods?

atonse 3y ago
You’re missing the context in which I replied. I was replying to parent’s sentiment of why build this kind of thing in the first place. I was providing an example of a benefit of this technology.

seydor 3y ago

> it could transport people ANYWHERE Not really, not fast nor convenient. Any machine will always add extra volume and weight in the most inconvenient ways. There should really be no limitation on the designs, just optimization under the constraints at hand

HarHarVeryFunny 3y ago

Segway make wheelchairs that are far more versatile than traditional ones. I'm not sure of the capabilities of their current commercial models, but years ago they had demo videos of them driving up steps and a scissor-like design whereby they could lift the occupant up to reach things.