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Toyota Unveils Helpful Human Support Robot

Posted by samzenpus on from the runaway-part-two dept.

cylonlover writes "Toyota has unveiled a new assistant robot designed to help the disabled live more independently. Called the Human Support Robot (HSR), it represents the latest initiative in Toyota's Partner Robot program and is intended to help out around the home by fetching things, opening curtains, and picking up objects that have fallen to the floor. The HSR can be controlled using a simple graphical user interface via tablet PC. It can also wear a tablet atop its head, which would allow caregivers and family members to communicate with the robot's owner over Skype or other services. But unlike recent telepresence robots including the recently announced iRobot RP-VITA, the HSR has an arm and gripper for doing the simple tasks we often take for granted."

44 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. How long until the Sexbot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    That's where the real money would be.

    1. Re:How long until the Sexbot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Buy one of these, then get a fleshlight and some duct tape. Some assembly required.

    2. Re:How long until the Sexbot? by dunng808 · · Score: 1

      And I thought I might *add* the sey toy reference, seeing how this is /. and all. Gee, was I wrong. FP!

      --

      Gary Dunn
      Open Slate Project

  2. Beverage option by magarity · · Score: 1

    Is there a coffee maker attachment?

  3. It would help society more.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It would help society more if it actually killed them.

    1. Re:It would help society more.. by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      I think Steven Hawkings will disagree.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  4. Hybrid only? by chinton · · Score: 1

    Is this an all-electric robot, or have they abandoned those, too, in favor of hybrids?

    1. Re:Hybrid only? by Platinumrat · · Score: 1, Funny

      Yeah Hybrid, generating Carbon Monoxide indoors for disabled people. That would work.

    2. Re:Hybrid only? by MisterMidi · · Score: 4, Informative

      Carbon dioxide, not carbon monoxide. And given the size of the brains, I doubt it will be much.

    3. Re:Hybrid only? by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      Oh can it.

      There is a difference in engineering for a device that moves a few miles per hour, and only travels for hours a day, and is always nearby a charging station, and weight about a hundred lbs.

      Vs.

      A device that moves 80 miles per hour, travels up to 10 hours a day, will not be near a charging station and weighs a ton.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re:Hybrid only? by Platinumrat · · Score: 1
      The internal combustion engine generates several types of waste gas. However, CO (Carbon Monoxide) is the one that generally kills the quickest.

      http://www.health24.com/medical/Condition_centres/777-792-1461-1673,26770.asp

    5. Re:Hybrid only? by chinton · · Score: 1

      Lighten up, Francis.

    6. Re:Hybrid only? by MisterMidi · · Score: 1

      I know about carbon monoxide. But I think you're confusing hybrid cars and hybrid robots. Hybrid cars have a combustion engine and an electric engine, while hybrid robots have a part electronic, part biological brain.

  5. But can it pick locks? by unfortunateson · · Score: 1

    Go watch Robot and Frank, great movie, even if it's pretty obvious that the assistance robot is a person in a robot suit.
    http://robotandfrank-film.com/

    --
    Design for Use, not Construction!
  6. protecting us... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Please contact customer support if the robot asks if you have stairs.

    1. Re:protecting us... by partyguerrilla · · Score: 1

      I am protected.

  7. Hackable? by ilikenwf · · Score: 1

    If cheap enough, I could see this little fella being used as a successor to the doomba..

  8. Cost savings? by whydavid · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If the robot came with an attached blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, and a few other things, it could also be applied to telemedicine. Since getting to the doctor's office is a huge challenge for many disabled folks, this could be a great opportunity. The telemedicine thing has and is currently being done, so this would really just be enhancing the robot with functionality that has already been prototyped, tested, and, in some cases, already deployed. If we're going to do this, let's go for the gold. Picking things up and enabling better communication is a great start, but becoming an all-around health companion and lifeline would take this to the next level and perhaps help it see uptake outside of robot-loving Japan.

    1. Re:Cost savings? by udachny · · Score: 2

      Yeah, good luck then trying to pass the FDA and similar obstacles on your way. Either it could never be advertised for that purpose or hundreds and hundreds of millions if not some billions would have to be spent proving that it's not a curling iron but a robot that can be used for some medical applications.

      --
      MY OTHER COMMENTS
    2. Re:Cost savings? by Yvanhoe · · Score: 2

      FDA is a purely American problem. Solve it if you want, but the rest of the world doesn't have to consider it like an obstacle when innovating...

      --
      The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
    3. Re:Cost savings? by whydavid · · Score: 1

      Telemedicine is already real, though still in its infancy. I'm not aware of any restrictions that say the remote monitoring device -- whether be a scale, blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, etc... -- has to be stationary. In fact, all of the above are strictly measurement devices, and have no diagnostic value in a vacuum. Thus, I think the "not intended to diagnose, cure, prevent any disease" disclaimer applies. I'm not sure this would even fall under the FDA's jurisdiction in that case. We aren't talking about robot doctors or nurses...just taking existing functionality, already widely available, and packaging it in a more effective manner. Not that this guarantees smooth sailing, but it is not as dire a situation as you have painted. Whether or not any insurance company would reimburse the expense is another matter -- and one I think far more likely to tank the concept than getting approval to package the robot with devices that are already sold over-the-counter to consumers for use on themselves.

  9. Re:Skype??? by Desler · · Score: 2

    Care givers also routinely run errands for the person they are caring for which may require leaving the house. Being disabled does not mean needing to be waited on hand and foot.

  10. Pick up things? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Can it pick up the control tablet if I drop it?

  11. Forget helpful human support... by RabidReindeer · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... if they develop an UNhelpful support robot, they can make a killing staffing call centers with it.

    1. Re:Forget helpful human support... by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      ... if they develop an UNhelpful support robot, they can make a killing staffing call centers with it.

      No need to develop, just license Siri. Done.

    2. Re:Forget helpful human support... by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

      They did that years ago. It's named "IVRU"

  12. Re:Skype??? by camperdave · · Score: 3, Funny

    Being disabled does not mean needing to be waited on hand and foot.

    Being disabled does not mean needing to be waited on gripper and omni-wheel.

    FTFY

    --
    When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
  13. "Wear a Tablet Atop its Head???" by CanHasDIY · · Score: 2

    It can also wear a tablet atop its head, which would allow caregivers and family members to communicate with the robot's owner over Skype or other services.

    Riiiight... 'cuz, you know, building in a webcam and LCD would just be... obtuse.

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    1. Re:"Wear a Tablet Atop its Head???" by Desler · · Score: 1

      Because that is better than the tablet, how?

    2. Re:"Wear a Tablet Atop its Head???" by timeOday · · Score: 2

      We had webcams and LCDs for about a decade before we had a video phone service that actually worked and that (more importantly) was widely adopted. Toyota is far from building these things in the numbers that would justify a special-purpose implementation of a functionality that already works (hardware+software) off the shelf.

    3. Re:"Wear a Tablet Atop its Head???" by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      Because that is better than the tablet, how?

      Meh, seems lazy.

      If some hacker came up with this thing in his garage, I'd cut 'im some slack, but... Toyota doesn't have the engineering knowhow to embed a damn webcam/screen combo, so they duct-tape an iPad to the thing? Really?

      I used to think that all those instances of "unintended acceleration" could be chalked up to user error, but after seeing this, I'm not so sure anymore...

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  14. Toyota Clippy? by AnalogDiehard · · Score: 1

    It looks like you're trying to surf the internet. Would you like help?

    1) Yes
    2) No
    3) Get me a beer
    4) Google "Kill Clippy"
    5) I saw what you did in front of the computer last night. Shame if your girlfriend were to find out

    --
    Eternity: will that be smoking, or non-smoking? I Corinthians 6:9-10
  15. A step, a baby step. by pubwvj · · Score: 1

    Hmm... My dogs do all of this. And they work on the farm too guarding and herding our livestock. Probably a lot cheaper and longer lived than this robot. Still, I guess robots must start somewhere.

  16. Re:Skype??? by sconeu · · Score: 1

    If someone can't do the stuff that this robot does, they're unlikely to be able to do other things unaided, such as using a toilet, etc...

    Speaking from experience (my wife is disabled).

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  17. Will it come with Genuine People Personalities? by CityZen · · Score: 1

    If not, they must not be Sirius.

  18. Looks strangly familiar... by Eddy_D · · Score: 1

    Does it have a finger that lights up when it extends its "neck" ?

    --
    - I stole your sig.
  19. Now you can by nagasrinivas · · Score: 1

    Remember those helpful reps who "Sir" you with a "Sorry but we can't". Now you can beat the crap out of them.

  20. Obligatory by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    I can see these being really popular in Korea.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  21. Re:Skype??? by ProzacPatient · · Score: 1

    Robots with grippers and an omni-wheel have a much more important purpose.

  22. Another good story about these by marcopo · · Score: 3, Informative

    "The Caretaker", by Ken Liu, recently featured on escape pod is quite relevant.

    1. Re:Another good story about these by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The story - The Caretaker - was fabulous. Great surprise ending. Thanks for posting about it.

  23. Re:Skype??? by Tatarize · · Score: 1

    Being waited on gripper and wheel doesn't make a person independent. It makes a person dependent on a robot.

    --

    It is no longer uncommon to be uncommon.
  24. Re:independently dependent by mcgrew · · Score: 1

    By making them depend on a robot?

    Better than being dependant on humans.

    --
    Free Martian Whores!
  25. Which is a lot more popular... by DarthVain · · Score: 1

    Than the unhelpful robot, which aparently just repeatedly tells you to fuck off