Slashdot Mirror
Service Robots in Service by 2010
Igor Birman writes "Reuters reports that Toyota aims to sell service robots by 2010. Meanwhile, the most advanced consumer robot produced in the US appears to be the iRobot Roomba, now available in pink.
More information is available at
Robotics Trends and
NewsTarget.com"
From TFA:
Reading this, I can't help but think of this excerpt from The Terribe Secret of Space:
^_^
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
Yoshimi should be able to take care of those Roombas with no problem...
I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
Date line May 31, 2005:
Toyota Motor Corp. aims to start selling robots that can help look after elderly people or serve tea to guests by 2010.
Date line April 1, 2011:
A Japanese pensioner was found dead today beneath a mountain of tea cups and saucers. A relative claims a Toyota robot given to the man a year before continued to carry out it's tea serving prerogative for months after the victim had expired.
Lurking at the bottom of the gravity well, getting old
Japan's top automaker sees a declining birthrate and aging population leading to growing demand for robots that can help in tasks such as child care and nursing care
What? I don't know where these companies determine the demands that people have. People have been trying to make machines that could automatically mow a lawn for over 50 years now. I would think there would be a really high demand for robots that could do lawn care, take out the trash and clean the house. At least those tasks I could trust a robot to do properly and shouldn't be all that difficult if they are also "really" capable of caring for a child. Personally, it would be a long time before I would trust robotic technology and AI to care for a human being's health and safety.
This post was submitted by
iRobot Slash-Postba
Serial NO : AR-3214324-ERE43
Activation date : May 31 2005
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
Here's the video feed of the robots in motion http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/special/robot/
Free Flat Screen
"Toyota Eldery Care Technology support, how can I help you?"
"I've fallen, and I can't get up."
"Is your ElderCare 5000 series nearby?"
"I forgot to recharge Willy last night."
"Willy? Who is Willy?"
"Well -- that's my robot's name. After my first husband, before he died in the Vietnam War. He was such a loveable man...kind to his children...and..."
"Uh -- ma'am -- does 'Willy' have a base charge?"
"What? I can't hear ya real good. Willy has my Miracle Ear stored in his chest compartment."
"I SAID -- DOES 'WILLY' HAVE A BASE CHARGE?"
"Base charge? What's that? I only know the green lights and the one with the blinking red light."
"Can you reach Willy from where you're lying?"
"Can I touch my willy so you can spy on me? You whippersnapper pervert! I'll have you fired! How digusting..."
"Ma'am -- please hold."
[technician initiates kill mode on ElderCare 5000 via GPS and remote activation protocols]
"Ma'am -- are you still there?"
"Yes -- Willy is moving around now. What did you do?"
"It'll all be over soon."
"What? A tall rover's moon? Hey! Willy?! What are you doin'? Willy?! Put that TV down! He's gone amock! What's going on?! Willy?! WILLY?!"
[slam - click - dial-tone - ring]
"Toyota Eldery Care Technology support, how can I help you?"
IronChefMorimoto
We already have a culture that puts the elderly away into nursing homes or retirement communities rather than having families take care of them. This is in sharp contrast to the way elderly members of most cultures have traditionally been cared for. A few generations back in the U.S., most elderly lived with their families as they aged.
Now we're in the process of developing technology so that we won't even need to use precious human labor in taking care of the aged among us. This sounds like a sad development to me.