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I've actually seen one of these in person (the guy had it for free because he knew someone at Amazon working on the personal dogfood version). I couldn't for t

I've actually seen one of these in person (the guy had it for free because he knew someone at Amazon working on the personal dogfood version). I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was actually for, and neither could he, as it was basically solely a party trick for him. They don't even vacuum floors like a Roomba does! The linked article talks about security patrols or whatever, but simply installing security cameras is cheaper and better. A robot obviously rolling along the floor is easy to avoid or to disable.

UberFly 2y ago
I personally could see a use for a mobile security camera, but it needs to be more agile and capable than basically a camera on a table lamp with wheels. Give me a robot dog that can get throughout my house when I'm away and I'd get one. Give it teeth and claws and I'm buying 20.
- aledalgrande 2y ago
  > Give it teeth and claws and I'm buying 20. That would give me pause after things like swatting... offline device maybe, but on the internet, just to end up on Shodan? Nah
  - Izkata 2y ago
    A Sherlock Holmes adaptation did something like this in 2016, it was their version of Hound of the Baskervilles: https://cbselementary.fandom.com/wiki/Hounded https://cbselementary.fandom.com/wiki/Hounded
avree 2y ago
I also know someone at Amazon who “dogfooded” one! I saw one, single, semi-valid use case, which is that it was a decent way to intermittently check up on your pets without setting up multiple cameras… but obviously not worth it at nearly $3,000 with tax.
- banish-m4 2y ago
  That's such a convoluted niche within niche that could be filled with fewer than say 10 fixed webcams at $149 each for half the price at most.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- Marsymars 2y ago
  As long as your house doesn't have any stairs!
  - defrost 2y ago
    As long as your house doesn't have only stairs! Minor nitpick, I've just come back from a multilevel house with stairs and ways to roll to|from any room; wide doorways, ramps, spiral outside groundwork, screw-drive elevator.
    - TaylorAlexander 2y ago
      Sounds like a very uncommon house.
      - defrost 2y ago
        Home build by an engineer | farmer - most houses hereabouts are single level, this one is cut into a sloping block and the design is as much about wheeling a fridge anyway as it is wheelchairs - the outside steel shed is fully drive through on the level .. and then there's a drop to a lesser driveway so that stuff can be rolled directly onto a trayback (loading bay). It's well thought out and practical, the own builder did the shed first and lived on site for two years with earth moving gear (owner | contractor) digging out big rocks, placing them, recessing walls into hillside, building out steel frame, etc.
        asdff 2y ago
        This place would be worthy of its own HN post
banish-m4 2y ago
Random new widgets need to answer the question: What is it you say you do here?

UberFly 2y ago

I personally could see a use for a mobile security camera, but it needs to be more agile and capable than basically a camera on a table lamp with wheels. Give me a robot dog that can get throughout my house when I'm away and I'd get one. Give it teeth and claws and I'm buying 20.

aledalgrande 2y ago
> Give it teeth and claws and I'm buying 20. That would give me pause after things like swatting... offline device maybe, but on the internet, just to end up on Shodan? Nah
- Izkata 2y ago
  A Sherlock Holmes adaptation did something like this in 2016, it was their version of Hound of the Baskervilles: https://cbselementary.fandom.com/wiki/Hounded https://cbselementary.fandom.com/wiki/Hounded

avree 2y ago

I also know someone at Amazon who “dogfooded” one! I saw one, single, semi-valid use case, which is that it was a decent way to intermittently check up on your pets without setting up multiple cameras… but obviously not worth it at nearly $3,000 with tax.

banish-m4 2y ago
That's such a convoluted niche within niche that could be filled with fewer than say 10 fixed webcams at $149 each for half the price at most.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
Marsymars 2y ago
As long as your house doesn't have any stairs!
- defrost 2y ago
  As long as your house doesn't have only stairs! Minor nitpick, I've just come back from a multilevel house with stairs and ways to roll to|from any room; wide doorways, ramps, spiral outside groundwork, screw-drive elevator.
  - TaylorAlexander 2y ago
    Sounds like a very uncommon house.
    - defrost 2y ago
      Home build by an engineer | farmer - most houses hereabouts are single level, this one is cut into a sloping block and the design is as much about wheeling a fridge anyway as it is wheelchairs - the outside steel shed is fully drive through on the level .. and then there's a drop to a lesser driveway so that stuff can be rolled directly onto a trayback (loading bay). It's well thought out and practical, the own builder did the shed first and lived on site for two years with earth moving gear (owner | contractor) digging out big rocks, placing them, recessing walls into hillside, building out steel frame, etc.
      - asdff 2y ago
        This place would be worthy of its own HN post

banish-m4 2y ago

Random new widgets need to answer the question: What is it you say you do here?