There are a lot of significant advantages to a single general-purpose platform versus designing custom robots for every task. You can use the same group of robots and assign them different jobs as needed. These robots can also adapt to new tasks and workflows as they emerge. Additionally, you can use the same set of replacement parts that work on any robot. Production costs are also much lower since you won’t need lots of factories for different robot types.
Yes, but in the context of what they’re saying, exploring space and the depths of the ocean, why humanoid robots? The world has specialized machines and platforms for that very thing right now.
As @Nacarbac@hexbear.net notes, the article not saying that it’s all going to be humanoid robots. That said, everything I noted above still applies. General purpose robots are versatile, and they’re going to be useful in many different context. Think of it this way, why do we make generic computer chips instead of making specialized chips for different kinds of tasks which could be much more optimized. We do that for some cases of course, but the backbone of computing is a generic chip that you can produce at scale and use for all kinds of tasks. Same logic applies here.
I think the text is misrepresenting - he didn’t specify humanoid in the quote. But running with it to try and speculate, hm, a humanoid bodyplan would be compatible with (the few) existing technologies and infrastructure - and as long as it isn’t limited to following human functionality for the limbs (especially in space or underwater) then it’s just a multiarmed drone that happens to fit in an acceleration couch or whatever. Not sure that’s enough of a benefit unless you intend actual humans to follow after.
I guess it’d also be a good visual stunt to have a humanoid do stuff? At least for orbital and underwater stuff it could even be teleoperated in an immersive VR style - signal lag would make it a bit dreamlike, but having a humanoid automata build a sandcastle on the Moon or explore a habitat being printed by specialised drones would be extremely cool.
Ocean? Fish robot. Everything in the ocean goes fish shaped if it needs to move through water quickly. Space? Probably a tapered cylinder or something. Maybe a fish shaped again.
There are a lot of significant advantages to a single general-purpose platform versus designing custom robots for every task. You can use the same group of robots and assign them different jobs as needed. These robots can also adapt to new tasks and workflows as they emerge. Additionally, you can use the same set of replacement parts that work on any robot. Production costs are also much lower since you won’t need lots of factories for different robot types.
Yes, but in the context of what they’re saying, exploring space and the depths of the ocean, why humanoid robots? The world has specialized machines and platforms for that very thing right now.
As @Nacarbac@hexbear.net notes, the article not saying that it’s all going to be humanoid robots. That said, everything I noted above still applies. General purpose robots are versatile, and they’re going to be useful in many different context. Think of it this way, why do we make generic computer chips instead of making specialized chips for different kinds of tasks which could be much more optimized. We do that for some cases of course, but the backbone of computing is a generic chip that you can produce at scale and use for all kinds of tasks. Same logic applies here.
I think the text is misrepresenting - he didn’t specify humanoid in the quote. But running with it to try and speculate, hm, a humanoid bodyplan would be compatible with (the few) existing technologies and infrastructure - and as long as it isn’t limited to following human functionality for the limbs (especially in space or underwater) then it’s just a multiarmed drone that happens to fit in an acceleration couch or whatever. Not sure that’s enough of a benefit unless you intend actual humans to follow after.
I guess it’d also be a good visual stunt to have a humanoid do stuff? At least for orbital and underwater stuff it could even be teleoperated in an immersive VR style - signal lag would make it a bit dreamlike, but having a humanoid automata build a sandcastle on the Moon or explore a habitat being printed by specialised drones would be extremely cool.
Ocean? Fish robot. Everything in the ocean goes fish shaped if it needs to move through water quickly. Space? Probably a tapered cylinder or something. Maybe a fish shaped again.
Space could be Cthulhu shaped, I mean, that’s where Cthulhu is at right? I guess that’s basically fish shaped at the end of the day though.
Cthulhu lives in the ocean. His deal is that he’s a priest for the gnarly things in space
Bro saw “cosmic horror” and just rolled with it