<story><title>What Comes After the Roomba?</title><url>https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/21/business/what-comes-after-the-roomba.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>Endama</author><text>I think robots have an uncanny-valley effect not just in aesthetics, but utility. For example, I actually really like my roomba because it only does one thing: it cleans my floor (when it doesn&amp;#x27;t get tangled in some cord). However, if there was a humanoid robot that can walk around and possibly knock over something or do something unexpected, I don&amp;#x27;t want that thing in my house. What prevents some hacker to compromise the robot and have it stab me in my sleep?&lt;p&gt;Another example is Alexa&amp;#x2F;Google Home. Some people love the convenience these in-home services provide, but others find the utility itself a liability: is this thing always listening to me and recording me in my home? The robots can do too much, they have too many functions and abilities, which makes me question the intent of the robot.&lt;p&gt;For robotics to really take off, I think there needs to be a kind of anthropomorphization that needs to happen: the utility of the robot must be high enough that I know that it understands my intention and can respond accordingly; that is to say, that I can have a relationship with my robot.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>jpm_sd</author><text>I 100% disagree with your conclusion. People don&amp;#x27;t want robot buddies, they want dishwashers. And dishwasher equivalents for other household tasks.</text></comment>
<story><title>What Comes After the Roomba?</title><url>https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/21/business/what-comes-after-the-roomba.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>Endama</author><text>I think robots have an uncanny-valley effect not just in aesthetics, but utility. For example, I actually really like my roomba because it only does one thing: it cleans my floor (when it doesn&amp;#x27;t get tangled in some cord). However, if there was a humanoid robot that can walk around and possibly knock over something or do something unexpected, I don&amp;#x27;t want that thing in my house. What prevents some hacker to compromise the robot and have it stab me in my sleep?&lt;p&gt;Another example is Alexa&amp;#x2F;Google Home. Some people love the convenience these in-home services provide, but others find the utility itself a liability: is this thing always listening to me and recording me in my home? The robots can do too much, they have too many functions and abilities, which makes me question the intent of the robot.&lt;p&gt;For robotics to really take off, I think there needs to be a kind of anthropomorphization that needs to happen: the utility of the robot must be high enough that I know that it understands my intention and can respond accordingly; that is to say, that I can have a relationship with my robot.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>JohnJamesRambo</author><text>Yes, I was just thinking the other day why can&amp;#x27;t more robots be like Roomba.  It does its task well in a way that enriches my life and makes it easier.  Maybe it is because its task is really simple, although it was designed really well also.  I specifically live in a house with all hard floors so it can do its job for me, which is kind of interesting.  I molded myself around what the robot is most capable of.</text></comment>