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That'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

by brc 12y ago

That'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 ago
The 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 ago
Heck 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.

by brc 12y ago

netcan 12y ago

The 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 ago

Heck 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.