household robots latest - leading to utopia or Orwellian nightmare [Turing/Hawking/Musk]

Cinnabar_wing said:

I think the main thing that feels weird is that they are trying to emulate humans

I quite like the look of the more friendly ones - not the ones looking like human exo-skeletons. I would want the robot to be shorter than me. 

Cinnabar_wing said:

we have a robot hoover

Does it work well? Does the cat trip over it? If they had a garden one for weeding I would like that.

Cinnabar_wing said:

prefer separate robots

I never thought of that aspect. I was thinking more of a bot that incorporated all the household appliances. I have an IT man who comes to my home to repair my computers, so perhaps there could be a service like that for your household bot[s]. 

Stuart333 said:

I already have a machine washing my smalls, it's a washing machine.

. True. Perhaps the robot ought to have a multi-purpose washing machine/dishwasher in their middle. I rather like the idea. I wonder why no one has thought of incorporating household appliances within the body of domestic bots!

Stuart333 said:

Stairs, slopes, uneven ground

That reminds me of the Daleks - farcically trying to take over the earth on wheels.

Stuart333 said:

The challenge is whether you use it to free your time to do more fun or good things

Yes, that's the nub of it. I sometimes do grocery shopping on the Internet but then miss the many actions making up a shopping experience [though I dislike being in crowded supermarkets, sometimes I want to be among other humans].  As I grow older I worry far less about people knowing my 'secrets' - not that I have many.

Can you explain please?

Maid from the Jetsons!

I already have a machine washing my smalls, it's a washing machine. But I know what you mean.

A humanoid shaped robot is hard to beat for a general purpose device, nature designed us well. Stairs, slopes, uneven ground, carrying things, sensors in the right places, etc.

I don't mind if one washes me as well as the smalls, as long as it has soft warm hards.  It could also access data files to be able to do any task I can't, like fix the gutter. I need help to look after the house on my own. 

The challenge is whether you use it to free your time to do more fun or good things, or just become lazy like in the Wall-E movie.

The real problem is if people prefer their cyber companion to a real one. But if it's a choice between cyber partner and no partner, cyber partner is better than nothing. Although it is also a perfect spy for reporting on you, and influencing you.

I seem to recall when it first came out it had a big student cult following, if the headlines were too be believed.

Ha ha yes I think so. It was on around the time my youngest sibling was small, so it was on a lot for her, but I still remember it anyway.

Cinnabar_wing said:

I just had a silly thought that the teletubbies used to have that giant vacuum animal thing

Oh yes! Haha! I remember that vacuum thing, even though I probably have never watched a teletubbies show all the way through. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world for an adult to watch if their was nothing else of interest on! It had a unique quality.

Cinnabar_wing said:

I just had a silly thought that the teletubbies used to have that giant vacuum animal thing. 

I seem to recall it was called "Noo-noo". My memories are rusty, but I think it sometimes hoovered up things it wasn't meant to, and the Teletubbies would say, "Naughty Noo-noo!"

I just had a silly thought that the teletubbies used to have that giant vacuum animal thing. 

Good idea, an animal design might work as we are used to creature companions anyway? It would feel less weird than a robot with no face like Neo et al.

Cinnabar_wing said:

I think the main thing that feels weird is that they are trying to emulate humans, when you could probably design something that isn't like a human that does the job better.

Yes, that would make sense. I might even be able to tolerate it near me, a bit like I can tolerate the big metal box that does the hardest part of the laundry process, it’s called a washing machine. Maybe a robot home worker should be called a ‘butler machine’ or a ‘housework machine’ and perhaps a design like an elongated octopus would work well. 

I think the main thing that feels weird is that they are trying to emulate humans, when you could probably design something that isn't like a human that does the job better.

Like we have a robot hoover. My husband got it for his birthday, it looks like a chunky frisbee and the controls are on an app. To me, this is acceptable, but I wouldn't like a human size robot going round with the vacuum, that would be creepy.

Although I read a lot of sci fi, the uncanny valley aspect of robots that are human-like is just too weird in real life.

I think I'd prefer separate robots that were just good at one thing. Then if they break, it's just one thing broken rather than something that did all the jobs you didn't like going at once.

I do worry about data collection though.

TheCatWoman said:

I'd probably hit it.

That reminds me of the old family TV we had when I was growing up. If the picture started flickering and going on and off, a good whack on the side of the casing put it to rights … for a while. It was incredibly annoying to have a temperamental TV, especially when the picture disappeared while watching something extremely interesting. At the same time, it felt so good to give the TV a hard whack when the picture came back. 

TheCatWoman said:

I would also worry about what info they're sending back to base?

That's a good point.

If it was possible to order a robotic butler from the likes of Argos, which could tackle household chores that I can find find physically difficult and tiring, then I might be tempted... providing it didn't look like Neo.

My first thought upon seeing Neo was that it looked like the stuff of nightmares, and reminded me of the character Michael Myers from the Halloween film franchise.

Yes, it would be great to have a robotic butler that could do the washing-up, load and unload my washing machine, tumble dryer, carry heavy laundry baskets from one part of my house to another, etc. However, I imagine the cost of purchasing one would be eye-watering, and expensive to repair if it malfunctioned.

Me too, I would also worry about what info they're sending back to base?

Being a techoklutz I've not looked into these robots, but because I'm a technoklutz I would trust myself with one, although it might learn some new words from me, and if it really acted up I'd probably hit it.

No. There are some chores which can be therapeutic. Also knowing my experience it would probably go wrong and cause more anxiety trying to work out how to get it fixed.

I wouldn’t want a household bot that performed like Eggie et.al. as they can’t be trusted to perform their duties without causing damage and their slowness would annoy me. 

iI would quite like a bot that would reliably change the bed, do the laundry, washing up and cleaning. Then I could spend more time doing the things that I enjoy doing. I wouldn’t want it to come near me and it would need to be aware that it should stay away from me. It would be cheaper to employ a human to do that, but I don’t want people who aren’t friends coming into my home and being intrusive, so a bot appeals to me.