So when is the technology going to get to the point where robot maids are practical and common? I know they have the Roomba automatic vacuum cleaner available now, but I'm looking for something to do dishes, dust, make the bed, clean the litter box, maybe pick up groceries (since the online grocer doesn't seem to offer everything I want that's in the 'real' store), etc.
I wouldn't mind a live-in maid, but I know I can't afford one of them. :-P
And yes, I've seen some of the work by Marshall Brain about the future of robotics. So I know I'm going to be waiting a couple of decades. But a guy can hope...
Oh, and if you can't figure out why I'm posting about robot maids, just check out some recent posts (one and two).
Posted by Tom Nugent at February 20, 2004 06:53 PMMy "robot maid" was my MIL when I was on bedrest! Not sure I would recommend MILs in general though *wink*
At least it is just you & your hubby! Think of it with 3 kidlets running around. Not to mention one that shelaced my bathroom with Fluff while I was on bedrest *eek* Just a little laugh for you!!!!
Keep on resting!
Posted by: Karen at February 21, 2004 01:49 PMWell, I don't know about maids, but there was some work done at MIT about dance partners.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/nr/2004/dancerobot.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/02/040206085808.htm
Marshall Brain's fiction aside, I think we're a ways from having a 'real' robot maid or Man Friday; let alone a world where McDonalds is run by a computer with no human staff.
Computers are pretty damned dumb and that's the truth. Clever programming can hide that but throw an exception into the works and everything breaks down in a mess of bad logic and ruined expectations.
Sorry Tom.
Posted by: Brian at February 21, 2004 07:57 PMI suspect you've already got a handful of very specialized, if stupid, robot maids -- the dishwasher, the washer and dryer, the vacuum cleaner, etc. But I take it you're looking for a machine to run your machines....
Seems to me there's a reason we've gotten this far and no farther. It takes substantial amounts of intelligence to sort clothing properly, decide which dishes go into the dishwasher and which don't, discern the difference between a clean dish and a nearly-clean one, and so forth. In fact, I myself have failed at all of these tasks in the not too recent past. So if having a robot maid in the house means having something big, strong, metal, and smarter than I am, I think I'll pass, thank you very much.
Posted by: Bear at February 22, 2004 01:12 PM