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Boston Robotics is going to really regret spending so many resources on slick YouTube videos over the last decade while competitors were driving down cost this

Boston Robotics is going to really regret spending so many resources on slick YouTube videos over the last decade while competitors were driving down cost this ruthlessly. $16k is what a wealthy person may spend on a vacation without a second thought. Amazing.

modeless 2y ago
I agree that Boston Dynamics will be left behind due to moving too slowly in adopting AI and scaling manufacturing, but IMO Google looks even more foolish for dropping them. If they had stayed at Google then at least other Google departments could have put their AI into capable robots, instead of those lame robots that the "Everyday Robots" team made before they too were dropped.
- hehdhdjehehegwv 2y ago
  It’s pretty clear 25 years in Google is a one trick pony: they make money selling targeted ads and that’s about it. Now, you could argue in favor that Cloud makes some revenue beyond ads; but are a third tier offering that is only there because ads cash was tossed into a furnace. They are “profitable” now, but there’s no way they’ve made back the money they burned and they won’t for a while. None of the robotics teams at Google with ever produce anything useful in the market and are pretty much on the chopping block as it is.
  - modeless 2y ago
    I maintain hope for Waymo. But the longer they wait for perfection, the more likely that someone less cautious will win using cheaper sensors and better AI.
  - killerstorm 2y ago
    They just have #1 mobile OS, #1 online office suite, #1 scientific AI, #1 autonomous cars, but our man hehhdhdjehehegwv is not impressed... From the makers of "founder of #1 rocket company and #1 ev company just got lucky"
  - dpkirchner 2y ago
    Just think of the effect a robot advertising platform could have. Robots, in our houses, wearing dynamically assigned ads as they do our chores.
fortran77 2y ago
16K is what a wealthy person spends on his first class tickets to get to his vacation!
war321 2y ago
BD's success or lack thereof with Atlas is to be seen, given that the electrically actuated one is so recent and they're backed by Hyundai who've show desire in driving down the cost.
wthowierj432423 2y ago
BD is not going anywhere. Robotics is the next frontier of war since our elites can't find enough idiots to kill/die for them. It's in a bit of equillibrium now since China has the upper hand in Hardware; US in Software. However, at this point, Robotics will rapidly become a natsec issue. Pray for countries who can't afford R&D in this - they'll get genocided out like flies overnight, if they don't turn themselves over into slaves. We're looking at a the war-robot race by the end of this decade (legged robotics have made proven advances in the past 5y).
- Perz1val 2y ago
  Why would anyone care about legged robots, when drones exist. A fast quadcopter with guns/bombs strapped to it is much scarier and much more effective than a slowly walking robot that can be stopped by a 1 meter fence.
- Geee 2y ago
  I don't think that's going to happen. Most of the robots will be owned (controlled) by civilians or private companies, which will lead to governments losing their monopoly on violence. There will be no more war. If someone is idiot enough to attack someone, there are billions of robots who will quickly destroy the idiot. Overwhelming majority of robots will be owned by those who collaborate to prevent war, and this is without cost, because the same robots will work in homes and factories otherwise. Governments will have to face the question whether they want the productivity of robots, while losing their monopoly on violence. I think it's inevitable that robots will win, and governments with their police and military forces will become irrelevant. Some governments might try to fight this revolution, and some will accept it quicker. Also, there's really no need for governments anyway when robots are there to serve humans. It doesn't make sense to collect taxes from robots and then pay other robots to work with those taxes.

modeless 2y ago

I agree that Boston Dynamics will be left behind due to moving too slowly in adopting AI and scaling manufacturing, but IMO Google looks even more foolish for dropping them. If they had stayed at Google then at least other Google departments could have put their AI into capable robots, instead of those lame robots that the "Everyday Robots" team made before they too were dropped.

hehdhdjehehegwv 2y ago
It’s pretty clear 25 years in Google is a one trick pony: they make money selling targeted ads and that’s about it. Now, you could argue in favor that Cloud makes some revenue beyond ads; but are a third tier offering that is only there because ads cash was tossed into a furnace. They are “profitable” now, but there’s no way they’ve made back the money they burned and they won’t for a while. None of the robotics teams at Google with ever produce anything useful in the market and are pretty much on the chopping block as it is.
- modeless 2y ago
  I maintain hope for Waymo. But the longer they wait for perfection, the more likely that someone less cautious will win using cheaper sensors and better AI.
- killerstorm 2y ago
  They just have #1 mobile OS, #1 online office suite, #1 scientific AI, #1 autonomous cars, but our man hehhdhdjehehegwv is not impressed... From the makers of "founder of #1 rocket company and #1 ev company just got lucky"
- dpkirchner 2y ago
  Just think of the effect a robot advertising platform could have. Robots, in our houses, wearing dynamically assigned ads as they do our chores.

fortran77 2y ago

16K is what a wealthy person spends on his first class tickets to get to his vacation!

war321 2y ago

BD's success or lack thereof with Atlas is to be seen, given that the electrically actuated one is so recent and they're backed by Hyundai who've show desire in driving down the cost.

wthowierj432423 2y ago

BD is not going anywhere. Robotics is the next frontier of war since our elites can't find enough idiots to kill/die for them. It's in a bit of equillibrium now since China has the upper hand in Hardware; US in Software. However, at this point, Robotics will rapidly become a natsec issue. Pray for countries who can't afford R&D in this - they'll get genocided out like flies overnight, if they don't turn themselves over into slaves. We're looking at a the war-robot race by the end of this decade (legged robotics have made proven advances in the past 5y).

Perz1val 2y ago
Why would anyone care about legged robots, when drones exist. A fast quadcopter with guns/bombs strapped to it is much scarier and much more effective than a slowly walking robot that can be stopped by a 1 meter fence.
Geee 2y ago
I don't think that's going to happen. Most of the robots will be owned (controlled) by civilians or private companies, which will lead to governments losing their monopoly on violence. There will be no more war. If someone is idiot enough to attack someone, there are billions of robots who will quickly destroy the idiot. Overwhelming majority of robots will be owned by those who collaborate to prevent war, and this is without cost, because the same robots will work in homes and factories otherwise. Governments will have to face the question whether they want the productivity of robots, while losing their monopoly on violence. I think it's inevitable that robots will win, and governments with their police and military forces will become irrelevant. Some governments might try to fight this revolution, and some will accept it quicker. Also, there's really no need for governments anyway when robots are there to serve humans. It doesn't make sense to collect taxes from robots and then pay other robots to work with those taxes.