A simple act of kindness. No good deed goes unpunished. Platitudes can be stacked one on top of the other. Yesterday I was focused on doing various things down in Northern Virginia (some would call it work)! To save time, I take the back way home. Last night about 12 miles from our house, in the backwoods of rural Maryland (which is not rural and not backwoods) I to stop to allow the herd of deer to cross the road. Hitting a deer with your car is never recommended. The reason, even though it was dark, was that the driver protection system or the collision avoidance system depending on what you choose to call it, start beeping.
Hear a beep, check the rearview mirror, and then hit the brakes. I really appreciated the sensor system that uses Lidar and protects me from not seeing. Deer in the darkness that are not directly in the headlamps are hard to see! The Lidar based driver protection systems are a step towards driverless cars but not driverless. No matter how good that system is you should never take your hands off the wheels. That got me thinking about the world around us and the reality of taking your hands off the wheel. For example, a large jet has an autopilot system, The pilot and copilot only have their hands on the wheel (or yoke as it is called in a plane) when the plane is having issues or taking and landing.
When would you take your hands off the wheel?
It is a question that I asking often. When would I personally take my eye or hands off the wheel? If I a pilot would I sit in the seat and clutch the yoke all 8-12 hours of a flight? You get pretty tired concentrating that long on one thing. Would you let go of the wheel to let you car parallel park? Would you let go of the hand of a 3-year-old known to run?
The reason for all of this is the growing reality of what is Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Computers are much better at pattern matching that most human beings are. Not always, there are shades of patterns that AI can’t spot. But, for the most part, a computer is better at pattern matching. So let’s play the what would you automate game. I will ask some poll questions, feel free to add more things you would be willing to have automated.
(automated means no human or limited human interaction required).
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Question of
Would you use a robotic vaccum?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
would you use a robotic dishwasher?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
What about a robotic clothes washing machine?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
How about a robot lawn mower?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
What about a robot that rakes your leaves?
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Yes
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No
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Everything that makes daily chores easier is welcome. However, I am a bit more sceptical when it comes to automation in cars, but I don’t know much about it either.
i have to say we added robot vacuums to the house a couple of years ago. It is really nice having clean floors all the time!!!!
I have always wanted one, but I hear mixed experiences. Glad it works great for you!
you are more likely to have success with them if you get the right one. If you have cats or dogs, you have to get the upper models!
The only thing I may consider is the lawn. That being said, I like doing these things because I benefit from the exercise. I thing we will all become vegetables in a few years it we depend too much on robots.
I can see that future if we are not careful, I know it is hard to get people outside as well!
My nephews’ robotic lawn mower, Gary, also mulches the leaves.
my automatic mowing system involves me reminding them to GO OUT AN MOW!
Mine as well, but my nephew is a true tech guy.
funny how sometimes automation is yelling at someone!
Are you enjoying my respite from posting?
I am not actually enjoying your posting absence. I miss your fun pictures. I miss the wonderful thinking process.
Q: Would you use a robotic vaccum?
Yes (9 votes) – 90%
No (1 votes) – 10%
Q: would you use a robotic dishwasher?
Yes (7 votes) – 70%
No (3 votes) – 30%
Q: What about a robotic clothes washing machine?
Yes (6 votes) – 67%
No (3 votes) – 33%
Q: How about a robot lawn mower?
Yes (5 votes) – 56%
No (4 votes) – 44%
Q: What about a robot that rakes your leaves?
Yes (5 votes) – 56%
No (4 votes) – 44%
All those things you mentioned would be great to have depending on the kind of house one is living in and the size of their family. Being alone in a tiny apartment the only thing I would enjoy having is a robot that could dust and vacuum so it would be like having a bit of company,
There is something about having clean floors, but not having to Vaccum (or mop) that is tremendous!
The dogs track mud in the house from the basement door. (there is a dog door in it for them).
We have the vacuum that runs at 1 pm, at 3 pm we have the robotic mop. It has decreased the amount of mud tracked around the house by 50%,
I would take the sensor in the car right away, but I don’t know if this is already possible with us. There are a lot of deer on our roads. I have a robot vacuum cleaner that I am very happy with. The rest I don’t think I would use.
most new cars have a collision detection system. Not all new cars, but most of them are adding the service.
Although I quite often follow technology articles, including reading your posts, I am sometimes quite late to learn something new from technology, including about automation. What? Is that stuff automated too? Great!
I also often visit shopping sites, again I say that, what? Of all the appliance you asked about, I said yes to all.
I wonder if you might not enjoy a device that recites books aloud, but during that recital asks questions and you are inspired to write!
Such a device doesn’t exist today, but someday!
I saw a number of new model devices such as vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, and several others, on e-commerce sites and was very impressed.
there are many, I am waiting for the AI book reader. Where it tells you a position about a book, and you can argue with it!
If you wait for it, then it’s definitely important and interesting! I will follow you, Captain!
I have been working on an application for a year now. It was designed to take the concept of a diagram and using AR to present the diagram in 3 dimensions. I have struggled because the tech isn’t quite ready yet.
Tsk tsk tsk… You really are good at that!
i keep starting over lack of vision overall I suspect.
I am sure you will succeed for it.
A sensor on a car to spot deer on the road at nigh are really sensible. Robots to use for housework, well prefer a person or DIY
fair! it takes all of us to move along the trail right?
I have a robot vacuum cleaner and I am very happy with this purchase. For me, everything that is related home chores can be automated.
we love ours! it runs. we don’t have to vacuum!
The partner has a robot vacuum cleaner and sucks around the house ….. this seems like a good innovation and she says it does a good job … better vacuum cleaner than I have haha ….. I’ve seen the robot lawnmower before, only the neighbor doesn’t boast too much
i really enjoy the Irbot vacuums, Less work for me. Empty the bin once a day and not have to vacuum!!!
It’s really great robotization … I watch TV on the couch and it sucks … great
vacuums are the only thing you say “it sucks” and people don’t think you are complaining about it!!!!
I don’t know what he translated … I lie on the couch watching TV and he works for me…great
it translated perfectly! just made me laugh!
That also counts for something if you laughed, dear friend
Many days getting to laugh makes all the difference!
Well written poll.
One time as we went fishing, deer skipped our car.
No one would help there because it was coming laterally.
I’m sorry I don’t have an automatic lawnmower but I have to. I’m pushing.
Would you use a robotic vacuum clearner?
If I had the money to buy it, yes.
I’m always for technical innovations and inventions.
They do tend to be a little pricey!
It worries me and distracts me from buying.
i understand that, it is all about cost and need!
Some things we need to keep doing ourselves so we do not become an even lazier society! Even though the robot vacuum with the Dude sitting on it seems like a pretty cool thing to try out. 🙂
I think you would take the internet by storm with such a video. I agree it is important to manage what gets automated.
I am all for safety automation!!!!
I may have to give that a try!
put a dorsal fin on Dude’s head. I’ve seen that one (it looks like a cat shark riding on the vacuum!!!!)