[ExI] Smallest human-equivalent device

BillK pharos at gmail.com
Sun Oct 13 20:08:43 UTC 2013


On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 8:15 PM, spike wrote:
> We could imagine retrofitting existing cars with the sensors, but that would
> be costly.  I can imagine a next-generation idea: driving robots capable of
> taking a current Detroit and driving it unmodified, as is.  It would need to
> be able to take the keys, open the door, get in, start the car, drive it
> somewhere safely, come back, lock it and leave.  That next engineering goal
> is exciting!  We could set them to delivering packages, since they can get
> in and out, can pick up and move stuff and so forth.  The supply of junky
> old cars would be nearly endless, so they would be cheap as dirt.  It
> wouldn't matter if the cars smelled like barf inside because some drunken
> prole had used it for his latest rolling Bacchanalian indiscretion; the
> humanoid driving robot wouldn't know or care.
>
>

A fully mobile delivery robot is surely unnecessary?  Nice, but not
required for deliveries.

The driver robot can deliver the package, but there is no need for it
to get out and swagger casually up to the residence, with all the
complication that involves. (It would probably expect a tip as well
and chat up the lady of the house).

The van could just phone ahead to make sure someone would be
available, then beep when it arrives and the resident comes out to
collect their package. The vans can work all hours, so no problem with
late deliveries.

Much cheaper solution.

But fully mobile robots will be very useful for other situations. They
will just be very expensive to develop.

BillK



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