Robots are coming

[Larry$]

I watched the Tesla glitzy show that I expected to be to definitive answer to Robo Taxis. Not so much as it turned out. Time line has been rolled back to late 2026±. A major disappointment.
Models X & Y will be the first to be offered as autonomies taxies. A nifty Robo Van was shown, no time line. Will it have a robot to deliver the packages to your door?
The actual robots seem to be close to production. Musk claimed they would reduce the cost of goods and services for everyone. We'll see (can they beat the Chinese?)
Robot price $20-30K to be your butler, maid, babysitter....? A group of robots was: released into the crowd, danced very smoothly on stage and served drinks.
In the year 2525....

 

[Eddyde]

 

[markba633csi]

..." Dad, this is boring. Can we go get neutronburgers now?"

 

[C-Bag]

Musk is a consummate salesman. I can’t remember a single thing he’s ever promised that came in at the time promised or the price promised. So long ago I just let headlines be all I cared about until it finally showed up. Probably the cringiest thing I ever saw was that first reveal where somebody in a robot costume was capering about while Musk went on about it. There have been some other robots I’ve seen on YouTube that seem more promising. I would love to have a truly useful robot but I’m not holding my breath for a truly useful and affordable bot in my lifetime.

 

[markba633csi]

The youtube spoof videos about the Boston Dynamics bots are hilarious
They really had me going there for a while

 

[Chip Hacket]

I've been working on one for a while off and on. The plan is for it to patrol the parameter of the house and watch for raccoons, skunks, coyotes and people. Maybe I'll have something that doesn't slam into the well house before I'm too old to feed myself.

 

[rwm]

@Chip Hacket - I remember that robot. How is it working out? What are its capabilities?

 

[Chip Hacket]

@Chip Hacket - I remember that robot. How is it working out? What are its capabilities?

Well it's going rather slow at the moment. That is an old photo and it has a few more options not shown. Currently all the manual functions are working. I've added an FPV pan and tilt camera that lives in the dome. I've also added a CMPS12 tilt compensated compass. The short wheel base restricts climb angles to ~25 degrees. The CMPS12 gives pitch and roll information so in autonomous mode I should be able to monitor and adjust. So when I get back to it I'll continue with the programming until I have the navigation a little farther along. There are still sensors to add and I have a GPS module not yet implemented. The low level controller is a teensy 4.1 that handles the track drive, servos and encoders along with other digital I/O. The main controller is Raspberry Pi 4. I upgraded it from a Pi Zero then a Pi Zero 2. Development over ssh was just so painfully slow. Hopefully with colder weather approaching I'll be able to devote more time to it. I tore the meniscus in my knee and I'm waiting to have surgery. So once that's over maybe I'll have a good excuse to stay in the shop while I recover. Hopefully the wife will wait on me hand and foot. (When pigs fly)

 

[pontiac428]

My fascination for robots ends abruptly when I realize such desires are merely an allegorical reflection of people like Musk'a desire to be a master over slaves. I feel like a better human by doing my own dishes, thank you.

 

[C-Bag]

My fascination for robots ends abruptly when I realize such desires are merely an allegorical reflection of people like Musk'a desire to be a master over slaves. I feel like a better human by doing my own dishes, thank you.

I know it’s not meant as funny(I think) John, but it struck me that way. Doing dishes is so trivial a task but to engineer a robot to do it like we do it is quite a feat. And in the grand scheme of my needs not even on the todo list. Since the onset of sciatica for the last 6mo lifting anything over about 20lbs has become painful and I can’t seem to work my out of it like I used to. So just having a reliable assistant to do the heavy everyday lifting I’ve done my whole life would be a blessing. If it could load and unload the dishwasher would be a bonus

But at this point I’m totally unwilling to be a monetary slave through payments/rent Musk wants everyone to be under. Whether it’s trying to buy a Tesla or leasing a solar + battery array. Or a robot. The stranglehold the rentier class has on the economy he’s pedaling as flexibility = freedom is insidious. If you don’t own anything but have to rent, isn’t that getting into scary territory?