Slashdot Mirror
Suitable Technology's Telepresence Robot Lets You Roll Remotely
DeviceGuru writes "Suitable Technologies today unveiled a telepresence robot based on technology from Willow Garage, a robotics research lab. Beam (as in 'Beam me up, Scotty' — no, really!) implements a video chat function on a computer you can remotely drive around via Internet-based control. Beam, which stands 62 inches tall and weighs 95 pounds, adheres to four operational imperatives, which are intended to mimic human interaction and behavior: reciprocity of vision (if I see you, you must see me); ensuring private communication (no recordings of what goes on); transparency of technology (keeping the interaction natural); and respect social norms (don't push or shove Beam!). But the big question is: Does Beam also adhere to Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics? Let's hope so!"
Beam (as in 'Beam me up, Scotty' — no, really!)
OMG?!? Really?!?!?
Exactly what was the point of that reference?
http://www.theonion.com/articles/we-need-a-fourth-law-of-robotics-stop-fingering-my,11148/
How would a robot assist me while doing ecstasy out in the wilderness?
Example: someone sustains an injury to an arm or leg such that amputation is the only way to save their life. How do all the nuances of directly or by omission of action harming a human get resolved to the satisfaction of the robot? How much explanation does an experienced medical expert need to give a robot to "convince" the robot that the course of action the surgeon is going to take is correct? How do the personal choices of the injured human enter into the decision process?
Seems easy until you start applying them to actual humans. ;)
Wait. Didn't I already see this on an episode of The Big Bang Theory?
I can see the fnords!
We have a robot much like this at work already. It's a vGo, and can be driven around to meet with other people at the office.
How does this new one compare?
Free unix account: freeshell.org
Here I was thinking it was finally a dice rolling robot, anything to take away the pain of repetitive stress syndrome of trying to roll 20.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
... is fuckin' creepy!
Looking at the screenshots, all I hear in my head is this tinny, flanging voice screaming "EXTERMINATE!" over and over...
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
On the main website they don't really mention anything about interaction, but in the deviceguru link they state it outright that you "have the freedom to move and interact with people as if you were there". Isn't this just a glorified version of a mobile chat device. I remember the episode of TBBT where Sheldon built one similar, but it did have the "hands" so to speak which I consider "interaction" and not just "chatting" which is what this one appears to be.
Great! How do you smoke remotely?
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
We have stairs.
having read all of the asimov books, including those written under commission by the Asimov Estate, i'm a bit concerned about this obsession with the famous "3 Laws of Robotics". later books came up with the "New Law" Robots, and several books covered a character called "Caliban", who was a robotic experimental "No Law" Robot that was framed for murder, escaped, and through naive, direct and untainted access to the world on which it was created, came up with its own ethics - its own "Laws", in pretty much exactly the same way that any intelligent human would.
my concern therefore stems from Asimov's own concerns, that the 3 Laws of Robotics resulted in a "coddled society". the "Giskardian" Robots had a Zeroth Law imprinted on them, via a Robot named "Giskard" who was accidentally one of the first telepathic robots, and possessed the ability to telepathically imprint thought patterns onto other beings (including other robots). R. Daneel, a humaniform robot, was the first to be so imprinted, and the implication from other books is that R. Daneel lived about 30,000 years and saw through - engineered and directed - the *entire* Foundation. the scope of Asimov's work is just... breathtaking when you read all the books.
the Zeroth Law Robots (Giskardians) interfered with humanity's evolution, for their own good; the 3 Law Robots (Calvanists) attempted to serve individual humans as best they could within the rigid confines of their programming. The key here is that both groups *interfered* with human development, as a direct result of their programming.
so the point is: i don't believe that it's a good idea to start advocating the 3 Laws as the absolute be-all and end-all answer as to how to shape and direct the creation of robotic intelligence. Asimov's own stories tell us a dozen or more ways in which the 3 Laws can go horribly wrong. i think we can decide for ourselves how best to create intelligent robots, thank you.
Before starting to move, it should play a sound clip of Optimus Prime saying "Autobots, Transform and Roll Out!"
Meh... A better solution would be to get a minion to carry your camera/monitor combo on a chain around their neck.
It'd be like you were Dr. Theopolis and they were Tweaky.
The Three Laws are completely irrelevant here.
In fact is says right on the announcement page that "Beam is no robot". So no need to be 3 laws compliant.
I'm still looking for a use case for telepresence robots. It needs to be a situation where all of these things apply:
1) I need to "freely" move around where I'm not. There are lots of situations where I would want this. However the situational awareness of these things is very poor. I drove one around and ended up rolling around the Y-Combinator offices without knowing it. For a tour of a place, office, factory, photos and handheld video would be preferable. (It's very difficult to "look around" with these thing. turning is slow.)
2) I don't need to touch anything. This is sort of the breaker. If I don't need to touch anything, why not just teleconference? Yeah, teleconferences kind of stink, but they do work. (And I can screw off during the parts that don't concern me. Try doing that in person!) If I actually need to do things then I need to be there in person with my arms and hands and fingers.
3) Movement is completely unrestricted where I need to be. Doors are all automatic. No stairs. No elevators.
4) Someone has the money to spend on these. They're expensive. People tend to abuse them, which makes them a maintenance problem.
5) No one cares about the Uncanny Valley. These things are deep in it and people react not positively to them. People hit the Emergency stop button to make the telepresence go away, people sit their drinks on them. Or push them around, pick them up. Drop them. Or just ignore them. People don't react to them like they're people. And there's really no way in the near future to get them out of this valley.
The closest I get for this is a factory tour in China. (For people who live a long distance from China.) But frankly if I need to take a factory tour I have the money to do it, and it would be worth my time to fly there and do it in person.
For anything else it seems like "Skype on a stick" is more than good enough. Does anyone have a legitimate (ie: not "it's cool!") use case for telepresence bots like this?
Saturday, Donny, is Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest. That means that I don't work, I don't drive a car, I don't fucking ride in a car, I don't handle money, I don't turn on the oven, and I sure as shit *don't fucking roll*!
They hatin'
Is 1563649 a prime number?
Sorry. I had a mental picture of a robot sitting there with Zig Zag papers and a baggie.
I know this stuff makes you lazy, but come on folks .... getting a robot to roll them for you?
Have gnu, will travel.
Boss via robot: Bob let me talk to you over here in my charging cubical
Bob: K...
Boss via robot: Bob I'm going to have to let you go, and if you come back and shoot up the place... you will be billed for the robot repair.
Bob: ~
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
QED
Now, see, I would add a 12-inch linear actuator to the neck connection so that I could make my virtual presence taller. Everyone knows that most women want a guy who is between 5'8" and 6'2". So when I meet a cute female virtual presence, I can make my presence the appropriate height. Of course, I've now opened the door to other uses for linear actuators but that's a separate issue.
Can't wait, not for the robot, but for the youtube parodies :)