WC Archive

Sonybots notwithstanding, I don't think obtrusive, social, humanoid robots have much of a future. Worrying about them is like someone from the late 19th century fretting about air-ships. By the time we can make them worth a darn, social conditions will be so different that our current speculations will seem quaint and irrelevant.

Small, specialized bots, on the other hand, bear thinking about. In a decade or two, a roomba-like lawn care bot could start putting undocumented immigrants out of work. Bots that swab your bathroom clean while your are at work or shopping would just totally rock.

In general, I would agree with you, Stefan, but demographic shifts may result in more of the humaniform robots than you or I would expect. An aging population (whether in Japan or elsewhere) will need care and assistance, and I really doubt that young people will look forward to lives employed as caretakers for seniors. I've spoken to some tech-savvy older folks (Pamela McCorduck, in particular) who see this scenario as highly likely.

I've heard this argument. Maybe its because I find it so horribly creepy that I tend to discount it! :-)

The scenario calls for a graphic novel. Set 30 years in the future. Decrepit old single sarariman tended by bots that look like Totoro, Mighty Atom, and various sexy anime cutey-pies.

...and super-Roomba, and flying spygnat things, and talking puppies. The aging sarariman finds himself the victim of an unscrupulous young government/corporate official, leading to the old man's demise. The now-masterless robots -- all 47 of them -- head out to avenge his death...

Oh, you could weave all sorts of scenarios:

The old guy could want his favorites to be buried / cremated with him. Young hipsters could invade the geezer's pad, led by a good-for-nothing grandnephew who has a key. The building management could replace the old man with a robot look-alike, to keep his wealthy, guilty-feeling surviors paying the fees.

I wonder if Patrick Farley is busy . . .

>despite mediocre reviews, it [the Roomba] does seem to be selling well.

I've had one for a year now, and I love it. It takes a task I hate and does it for me in a highly entertaining manner. I follow their mailing list and it seems like it is all or nothing - either it works well or it doesn't work at all. They seem to have ongoing issues with quality control in the Chinese factory where it is made. Buy it at a place with a liberal return policy.

There is at least one maid service that augments the humans with them. By settting these running when they first get there, the maids can get the house clean in less time and get more houses done in a day.

Ah, good, a first-person report. My big question: how noisy is it, compared to a conventional vacuum cleaner?

And how good is it at picking up dog hair? I'm thinking about adopting a dog, and a daily carpet-sucking might cut down on the shed-fur buildup.

Of course, it might scare the pee out the animal...

Any discussion of humanoid vs. non-humanoid robots has to take into account the "uncanny valley" ( http://www.wordspy.com/words/uncannyvalley.asp ) where making a robot more humaniform makes it less attractive. I see smart devices in elder care long before we can build an emotionally acceptable nursing assistant.

Smart walkers, for example, would diagnose and adjust to the gait of the user. They would know how to park themselves at the edge of the crowded dining room, and come at the push of a button on a keyfrob. They could detect a fall and signal for help.

This is how technology gets into the mainstream: incrementally, slowly, evolutionarily. Look for an existing niche, and make some epsilon of progress. Big leaps are very rare.

That make a lot of sense, John. Thanks.