Slashdot Mirror
iRobot Cofounder Helen Greiner Interviewed
ptorrone writes "Engadget has interviewed Helen Greiner, Chairman and CoFounder of iRobot. She talks about the future of home robotics, the new self-docking Roomba Robot Vacuum as well as their other line of robots, the PackBots. iRobot's PackBot unmanned reconnaissance and bomb disposal units (the interview includes a photo of a blown-up PackBot from Iraq). Plus, for the curious, the Packbot is running a Linux OS with iRobot's Aware robot control software."
I'm still waiting for a Killbot running a Linux OS.
The owls are not what they seem
A rogue AI infected the popular Slashdot news outlet this morning. The infection led to major downtime and a pretty buggy restart.
Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but I am the ocean
Did anyone else think this was about the Will Smith movie? (I, Robot)
I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
I don't think robots will catch on. A lot of home procedures could be automated by specialized applications, but a central robot I think is a failing idea.
It follows the old concept of do one thing but do it well. Dishwashers are a good example of this, verses a robot to wash dishes and sweep, etc.
The converse argument, posed here, falls apart in the final statement -- the conclusion. In the example cited, you have to realize the brother has a mental handicap.
The iHorror!!!
It needs a posthumous purple-hued titanium heart.
Now if iRobot came out with an un-Packbot would open the UPS boxes that stream in containing the latest semi-cool gadgets found on Techbargains, and put them away, that would really be cool!
Even better, it would fill out the rebates and recycle the boxes and packing peanuts!
Leela: they say Zapp Brannigan single-handedly saved the Octillion system from a horde of rampaging killbots.
Fry: Wow.
Bender: A grim day for robotkind.
Bender: Eh, but we can always build more killbots.
RoseColor red={0, 0xffff, 0x0000, 0x0000};VioletColour blue={0, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0xffff};find / -name *mybase*|chown you
She's invented an autonomous robot that sucks on command?
Oh, it's a vacuum cleaner.
Someday, someday...
ah, but we can always build more packbots.
OK that diddn't work for some reason, so here's another link. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures/jul03.html
Sorry for the mixup.
I don't think the store will take that one back.
Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
... what a beuwolf cluster of the Roombas would be like.
iRobot is a cool company; if you need replacement parts for your Roomba, the friendly people on the phone are more than happy to mail them out post-haste to you.
So the new Roomba models head back to their base to recharge themselves. That's really cool. But can they be put on a timed or daily schedule? That would address the top two questions I got asked about my first-gen Roomba.
~jeff
If you mod me Offtopic, at least post AC and tell me who to report this /.bug.
for those bots at the oreilly emerging tech conference she spoke at... really impressive, almost scary. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking... the army ops guys would abuse the hell out of 'em.
No word yet on the skynet add-on though...
*shrug*
e.
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
Listen to Helen Greiner talk about iRobots at ITConversations.com
The world will not get better through technology. We must seek to be better people.
Instead in 30 years chores around the house will be a thing of the past. The robots will have evolved from automatic appliances to home automations systems. iRobot (and others) will be selling clean floor, clear windows, organized closets, mowed lawns, sparkling toilets, and dustfree surfaces that the consumer never has to think about. The robots just come out and do the job when it need to be done.
Well my first thought is if all responsibilities are given to the robots, what are we going to do?
My next thought was of this story.
can't sleep slashdot will eat me
I consider myself to be reasonably comfortable with technology. Still, I am not sure how comfortable I am with a robot that can assure medication compliance .
Um, you might want to try: http://robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/tasks/tmr/ Most of those pictures are of an older version of IRobot's chassis, the UrbanII. We've been on the Packbot chassis for a while, but not on the TMR program. That program ended about 3 years ago.
--Carlos V.
Helen Greiner speaks at etcon http://www.archive.org/audio/audio-details-db.php? collection=conference_proceedings&collectionid=ete ch2004-greiner&from=mostViewed
I see it. And thank you for insulting me for trying to make our experience here more enjoyable.
Poor little iRobot possibly saved the lives of more than one bomb-squad soldier, or more lives for unlucky troops walking or driving nearby.
If a soldier was to pick up the pieces, it would be either to attempt a repair and reuse (another good reason to use them instead of people), prevent the bad guys from getting our technology, or just to be responsible with debris in a field.
End the FUD
And since I don't have a SourceForge ID, my bug report doesn't make a fucking Goddamn bit of difference. Goddamn it! I don't want to login to a shitload of sites just to report a simple bug! Fuckyou AC! If you're so Goddamn smart; you fix it!! I'm outta here!!!
- automated check out
- Mop Robots
- Commercial Roomba units
- lawnmower bots
That's going to eliminate a lot of jobs. Granted, their jobs that not many people want, but unemployement will be a HUGE problem.Robot Dealer
Laugh at my ignorance while I learn Rails - a Real ne
http://redcone.net focuses on the latest developments in robots and robotics site wise it is not up to the standards most /.'ers expect but it is kept up to date with relevant info
Well, it makes sense for them to make a PR push now, then doesn't it?
Branding is key, and these folks have a chance to ride on I, Robot's brand for a short while... they clearly are taking it.
The USA doesn't give a fuck about individuals. The reason they want the pilot back rather than the plane is that during a war planes are easier to make than pilots.
I'm not saying the US is better or worse than other nations, I believe in the WWII the Russians had more troops than munitions so they valued the munitions more than the men and women.
AFAICR (As far as I can remember), back a couple jobs ago when I worked for iRobot's parent company at the time...it was the "Urban Robot", for urban use (like stairs and buildings), since a lot of the previous stuff was for driving around fields looking for mines (and usually promptly running over them...good thing they were inert test mines!). So, UrbanII must be the second rev of the bot.
It sure was cool to see Urban I driving up the side of a carpeted wall that was at like a 70 degree angle in the Hi-bay...
http://nytimes.com/ads/lincoln/ (no registration required as this is part of a campaign by Lincoln.)
Not real high tech but kind of cool nonetheless.
Sigs are for the weak.
The reason they want the pilot back is because it's easier to make planes than pilots, is true. The loss of a pilot, however, goes way beyond the inconvenience of training another one. The loss of any person is bad for their unit, their family, their effort, and, of course, the person. This goes for any individual. Loss of life at the very least introduces FUD, and at the very worst, causes more loss.
Yes, to some small degree, persons are units of attrition, as seen in WWII. The US goes a long, long way to make sure that attrition is kept to a minimum. If a beach needs to be stormed (think Normandy or Iwo Jima), then the loss of life is undesired but expected, and may be reduced to formulas. I think if this didn't happen, most wars would be pretty short--you'd be reduced to the nutbags fighting each other.
Think about Iraq for a moment, and consider that for the tens of thousands of fatalaties in that country, only 900 or so are American soldiers. Much is done to keep individuals out of harm's way.
If a tool, like the iRobot, can be used instead, it will definately be sacrificed instead. The snide comment implying the robot's value over a person's is very far off the mark.
End the FUD
I'm thinking of the Forrestall when I think that Jimbo would be in risk of being chosen under an aircraft. Jimbo was certainly put out there to put out the fire, but not to save the planes--rather, to save the ship. And in that comment, it wasn't so much to save the iron, wood, and electronics, it was because the other 500 guys (exageration for conversation, again) on the boat would also be lost.
End the FUD
But, I'll reply to the troll, anyway.
The idea of antropomorphic robots is good, if we understand that the only common interface all our tecno-stuff shares is the human body, so it is a good interface for a thinking gadget, to replace the work of a man, in any way needed.
Leela: They say Zapp Brannigan single handedly saved the Octillian System from a horde of rampaging Killbots.
Fry: Wow!
Bender: A grim day for Robotkind. Eh, but we can always build more Killbots!
[...]
Fry: I heard that one time you single hadedly defeated a horde of rampaging somethings in the something something system.
Zapp: The Killbots? A trifle! It was simply a matter of outsmarting them.
Fry: Wow, I never would have thought of that!
Zapp: You see Killbots have a preset kill limit. Knowing their weakness, I sent wave after wave of my own men at them. Until they reached their limit and shutdown. Kif. Show them the medal I won.
[Kif sighs and points to a medal on Zapp's uniform.]
[Scene: Nimbus Dining Room. Leela, Zapp, Fry and Bender sit at a table, looking down at the rest of the crew who are eating. Kif is grating cheese over Zapp's food.]
Zapp: More please.[Kif grates.] A little more. [Kif grates.] More. [Kif grates.] Keep going.
Leela: Captain Brannigan we really need to talk to you about our mission.
Zapp: Whatever it is I'm willing to put wave after wave of men at your disposal. Right men?
[He raises his glass to the crew. No one acknowledges him.]
Crewman: You suck!
Love's Labours Lost in Space -- From The Neutral Planet
Sincerely,
Pan Tarhei Hosé, PhD.
"Homo sum et cogito ergo odi profanum vulgus et libido."