jep, but.. it's cheaper to build 2 legs (not counting R&D) than 4 legs. 4 legs also make heavier robot, and that needs more power to run.
You can make specialised versions of robots, which are better, but if you have lots of cheap (mass production = lots of robots to pay for R&D) universal robots that can use simple tools, then you can simply create new program and use these robots for new task. You can always use more general purpuse robots if need be.. (let 10 Asimovs stamp those envelopes)
A robot that can stamp 5000 envelopes can't drive a car. But Asimo could.
robots have no point. They are machines. If robots are cheaper than humans, then robots will get the job.
There are 1M robots working.. and they work 24/7, no pay, no breaks, no strikes,.. they have usefull lifetime of 15 years and pay for itself in few years (some in 1-2 years)..
No need to make Asimo 'war ready' - it's to slow.. just make robot planes (UCAV) and robot tanks.. i think US military has plans to make 30% of it's machines 'unmaned'..
People are doing just fine with 'limited design'. Everything is made to fit us. Wheels look much better to go around.. that is, until you get to stairs.
Honda has invested more than 100M dolars to get to Asimo. It walks. Now it even responds to human commands. In about 10 years it will be able to get you a beer.
That in it self may seem like trivial, but once it can help you with 'simple' things, it can do things like nursing.
Japan has aging population. 25% of Japan's population will be over 65. That's 40M. Nursing care is expensive (especially since Japan doesn't import foreign workers). Robots like Asimo could take care of 'simple' things.
Once in mass production its cost would be in range of a good car (later even less). Would you like a janitor, cook, housemaid, gardner, fireman, guard, babysitter, courier, butler.... for a price of a car?
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it needs to learn how to bring me a beer first. Only then will be smart enough not to be for target practice.
A tank does not need that much agility.. it has armor i wolud be more afraid of 1000 tanks than 1000 asimos
jep, but.. it's cheaper to build 2 legs (not counting R&D) than 4 legs. 4 legs also make heavier robot, and that needs more power to run.
You can make specialised versions of robots, which are better, but if you have lots of cheap (mass production = lots of robots to pay for R&D) universal robots that can use simple tools, then you can simply create new program and use these robots for new task. You can always use more general purpuse robots if need be.. (let 10 Asimovs stamp those envelopes)
A robot that can stamp 5000 envelopes can't drive a car. But Asimo could.
robots have no point. They are machines. If robots are cheaper than humans, then robots will get the job.
There are 1M robots working.. and they work 24/7, no pay, no breaks, no strikes,.. they have usefull lifetime of 15 years and pay for itself in few years (some in 1-2 years)..
No need to make Asimo 'war ready' - it's to slow.. just make robot planes (UCAV) and robot tanks.. i think US military has plans to make 30% of it's machines 'unmaned'..
check what darpa is doing..
People are doing just fine with 'limited design'. Everything is made to fit us. Wheels look much better to go around.. that is, until you get to stairs.
Honda has invested more than 100M dolars to get to Asimo. It walks. Now it even responds to human commands. In about 10 years it will be able to get you a beer. That in it self may seem like trivial, but once it can help you with 'simple' things, it can do things like nursing. Japan has aging population. 25% of Japan's population will be over 65. That's 40M. Nursing care is expensive (especially since Japan doesn't import foreign workers). Robots like Asimo could take care of 'simple' things. Once in mass production its cost would be in range of a good car (later even less). Would you like a janitor, cook, housemaid, gardner, fireman, guard, babysitter, courier, butler.... for a price of a car?