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Panasonic's 16-Finger, Hair-Washing Robot
angry tapir writes "Panasonic has developed a hair-washing robot that uses 16 electronically controlled fingers to give a perfect wash and rinse. The robot, images of which were distributed by Panasonic, appears to be about the size of a washing machine. Users sit in a reclining chair and lean back to place their head in the machine's open top. Two robot arms guide the 16 fingers, which have the same dexterity as human fingers, the company claims."
The first time one of them removes a cranium, it's all over for Panasonic.
Yes, you can now be touched by the noodly appendages.
Healthcare/rehabilitation settings. People with limited mobility or missing limbs.
What's with all the comments saying that this is a silly/stupid/worthless invention? Panasonic has automated a dull task previously reserved exclusively for unskilled human labourers! This is /., when did we start longing for the manual human elements of mindless, repetitive work?
I, for one, wish Panasonic all the best in automating everyday tasks. I don't think I've seen a new machine to help with day-to-day life since the post office got an electronic stamp dispenser ten years ago. This is supposed to be the future!
When this thing has been field tested and gone down in price, you can probably find them at your local hairdresser's. Am I the only who'd like a two hour head massage for a handful of quarters?
Right, because I'm sure they spent extra money on motors with that amount of power in them. Seriously, do people worry that the little electric wheeled toys from McDonald's will go flying accross the room and put a hole in someone's leg???
Try do it with a missing limb. Or with atrocious artritical pains. /. customes, you may start reading the TFA until you hit: "to assist caregivers in hospitals and health-care facilities".
Then read carefuly the TFA. Actually, contrary to the
Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
Indeed. We heard the same kind of critics when the electric wheelchairs came out, saying that they would cost more than hiring someone to push the person around.
Truth is that if this means a carer can take care of another patient during the 20-40 minutes this machine is massaging disabled person A, then that's 40-80 minutes gained; or some 10-20GBP. If this machine is installed in a home or institute, that would conservatively account for some 60GBP a day.
Not so ludicrous after all.
It is if you have musculary dsytrophy. Besides, robotics research will definitely help society in general in the future. Think big picture.
Difference is that twitter doesn't hang it's boobs in my face when she's washing my hair.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
I think the bigger question would be why would anybody want this in the first place? Is the girl that does your hair at the local place REALLY costing you so much you'd think of replacing her with a bot? Every time I've seen humans replaced with bots it has been in jobs where the hazards and risk for injury make humans more of a risk than the cost of the bots, like welding cars. Where is the danger in washing someone's hair? I think just like those pole dancing bots we saw awhile back somebody in Japan has waaay too much time and money on their hands to be dreaming up this crazy crap.
The only way I think this might be useful is if they are taking the knowledge they learn with these worthless bots as baby steps on the goal of making the ultimate sexbot. If that is the case....I'll take one Alyson Hannigan please, and I'll gladly pay an extra 5k if you have her delivered in the Season 2 Buffy "vamp willow" outfit and have her wake me up with the "what's my name bitch?" bit from American pie. sure my GF will be more than a little POed, but hey, what can ya do?
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
The total sum is probably much higher, because this is aimed at Japanese market, where people are aging rapidly, while immigration laws are some tightest in the world.
As a result, there simply aren't enough workers to deal with the aged, typically at least partially disabled people. So the money has been thrown at robotics to do most of the carer's work instead. This is one of the examples.
Invent a hand-job machine.
With 16 fingers...
No sig today...
your gas pump doesn't pop up the "Do You Want a Car wash Today?" question?
I know its suggestive selling, but if I'd wanted a car wash I would have driven to the car wash, not the fuel pump.
Now, if I was asked if I wanted a car wash yesterday I would buy it just to see the results.
I sat down to write a new sig tonight and all I did was make the chair warm.
Crushing a skull requires too much force, which such robot probably wouldn't have. It is easier to push it's fingers through your eyes ;)
Extreme Programming - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Developers
Head wash -> back massage -> chiropraxis -> open heart operations -> brain tumor removal -> handjob.
umm. I think I can speak for all present when I say we are more than comfortable with that handjob being available right now.
Ok; you put your stuff in the iron grip.
I'll keep it in my pants until I've seen it do neurosurgery on the president during an earthquake.