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"Constraining the environment" is a perfectly valid approach, IMO. At least it is if your question is 'how do I automate a hotel.' The idea of human-like robo
by netcan 12y ago
"Constraining the environment" is a perfectly valid approach, IMO. At least it is if your question is 'how do I automate a hotel.'
The idea of human-like robots performing tasks in human-like ways is (again, IMO) an analogy that makes it easy for people in the 1950s to imagine the 2050s. How will check in work? Robots working the front desk. Cleaning? Robot maids. It's a placeholder for technology that doesn't exist yet but is ultimately expected to to some job.
To update the analogy now that we're closer to achieving the reality, lets imagine a hotel that is a machine Instead of a hotel staffed by machines. In that context, specialized beds, sheets, buildings, and other adaptions to the practicalities of machine abilities are fine. After all, our regular hotels were built specifically to be convenient for human workers changing sheets or delivering room service.
I think that's ultimately how a lot of technology will progress, as part of a complex of people and machines. Self driving cars need to work on "human roads" because these are the roads that exist. But, I think adaption will go all ways if the tech succeeds. Roads will be built or updated to be more suitable for self driving cars. Humans will adapt too.
- brc 12y agoThat's a great analogy - the robot maid is a placeholder for expected automation, but the form is not known yet. I hadn't thought about it like that. I often tell people I have a house full of robots. I have a robotic clothes washer and a robotic dish washer. I also have a robotic vacuum cleaner. All are specialized tasks, automated, but for whatever reason only the vacuum is usually called a robot.
- netcan 12y agoThe reference point is factories, I think. Some of the things they have look like robots as most people imagine them. An arm spray painting cars. But in most cases its a gradual process of using less human resources and more machinery. Futurists call it robots. Engineers call it automation. Managers call it efficiency. Economists call it capital. Everyone chooses the abstraction that works for whatever it is they are trying to solve. The point is, sheets must be freshened. If factories are the reference point, I think it shows that marginal automation is harder which makes sense considering that we start from the easiest. Today's factories use far fewer people per unit of output, but few are 100% machine. People still work in factories. Fully automated hotels sounds like a really cool tech project or PR project, maybe an idea lab. But for actual wide adoption, I would guess the best chance is the kind of engineering that turned 1000 person factories into 100 person factories. Some of it may be pretty low tech. Anyway.. how about a sheet dispenser in the headboard so that sheets can be pulled on to the bed in one smooth motion? I might get one for home if they come in cheap enough. I'll be ready if they invent robot girlfriends.
- JoeAltmaier 12y agoHeck your wall thermostat is a robot. Its the textbook example of the definition of a robot - an automated machine that makes decisions for you and takes action on your behalf.