Google Canceled the Launch of a Robotic Arm After it Failed the 'Toothbrush Test' (bloomberg.com)

Mark Bergen, reporting for Bloomberg: Google published research this week detailing how its software enables robots to learn from one another. To demonstrate, the company's scientists showed videos featuring robotic arms whirling inside its labs. Google's robotics group built those machines and wanted to sell them to manufacturers, warehouse operators and others. However, executives at Google parent Alphabet Inc. nixed the plan because it failed Chief Executive Officer Larry Page's "toothbrush test," a requirement that the company only ship products used daily by billions of people, according to people familiar with the situation.

Comments

One Size Fits All

[ADRA]

Clearly if it has the word Google on it, it must be WEBSCALE!!!

Really, have an off-brand trade name for products that are niche industries if you've got the stink on for smaller products. Seriously, Google's scorched earth approach for lower performing products has affected my love for the company significantly over the last couple years. I'm VERY leery to try any of their new offerings, which is clearly a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Disappointed

[Anonymous Coward]

I am disappointed. From the headline I was expecting that they used the robotic arm to toothbrush someone and then things got funny...

If Alphabet doesn't want to do it, sell it off!

[Aqualung812]

Why wouldn't Alphabet spin off a new company that they have a 40% stake in and let it fly?

It wouldn't be part of Alphabet, so the rules wouldn't apply.

If it fails, they can handle a little loss.

If it is a hit, they can make money from it without holding back on good ideas the world might be able to use.

Re:Pretty short sighted

[wile_e_wonka]

According to the article, the research isn't over. They just aren't going to sell the robotic arm. This doesn't even mean the robotic arm won't get sold--if Google decides it has no use for this, it can just sell the IP to someone else to develop and bring to market. Google just doesn't want to be in the robotic arm selling business right now.

The toothbrush test is idiotic

[GameboyRMH]

There are huge industries built around things that fail the toothbrush test. Does Google not like getting a return on their investments?

Re:The toothbrush test is idiotic

[SolemnLord]

Google's entire business model is built on massive scale. Small-but-hugely-profitable industries require a completely different approach to dealing with clients and users. If a user is having trouble with, say, their Nest thermostat, Google can log the problem and work on a fix in their own time. If an industrial client is having trouble with a robot arm, Google would be expected to be dedicating resources to that specific arm within twenty-four hours, if not sooner.

Re:Why start the project then?

[thegarbz]

Google is a little like 3M in that it's an internal project machine. They fostered a culture of internal innovation that wasn't dependent on deliverable products until a certain critical size is reached. When it gets there it gets evaluated to see if there's value in continuing it.

Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes the answer is no.

I remind you that 3M rejected the idea of the Post-It and didn't fund it internally either, but they did fund the laser disk.

Re:Why start the project then?

[ShanghaiBill]

If this was a known requirement for googles products why did they start to begin with

There are applications for robots that could potentially be sold to billions of people. This just isn't one of them. A household cooking & cleaning robot would be a good product for Google. Warehouse automation robots are not.