Les Jones: I, For One, Welcome Our New Robotic Servants

February 01, 2005

Tech > I, For One, Welcome Our New Robotic Servants

Chris Anderson asks What is it with the Japanese and robots? Interesting stuff if you're a Japanophile.

This reminds me of something I keep meaning to do. Why call a dishwasher a dishwashing machine? I want to call mine a dishwashing robot. That's more or less what it is, since it does something analogous to what I'd have to do with my arms in order to wash the dishes. I also own a closewashing robot and a clothesdrying robot (though I admit the analogy isn't quite as strong for those two appliances, especially the dryer).

Posted by lesjones

triticale - the wheat / rye guy linked with Rossum

Comments

Interestingly, while the Japanese do indeed make fantastic robot hardware, their household appliances leave something to be desired---at least, that was my experience in 1996. The "neuro-fuzzy controlled" dryer would NOT dry my clothes, no matter how many times I ran them through.

Posted by: Thibodeaux at February 01, 2005

Robot thoughts:

If I had one of those Honda robots, I'd name him Bender. And I'd order him to wash my clothes and mow the yard.

I wouldn't use one of those little yard-mowing robots or robot vacuum cleaners. I'd make sure everybody saw that my expensive Man-Shaped robot did those things with Man-Made tools.

That way when he broke down I could still mow my yard because he would use the same tools as me.

Oh, and I'd make him wear a French maid outfit, because I'm wierd like that.

Posted by: Chris Range at February 01, 2005