Google Is Closing Its Schaft Robotics Unit (techcrunch.com) 77
Google's parent company Alphabet is closing down Schaft, its secretive unit that develops bipedal robots aimed at helping out in disaster efforts. The news was first reported by Nikkei, but Alphabet confirmed to TechCrunch that the business will be shuttered. It said it is helping staff find new roles, most of which will likely be outside of Google and its Alphabet parent. TechCrunch reports: The company was scheduled to be sold to SoftBank alongside Boston Dynamics -- another of Alphabet's robotics ventures -- through a deal that was announced last year. Boston Dynamics made the transition but Schaft didn't. Softbank never shouted that omission from the rooftops, but a source with knowledge of the deal told us that certain conditions agreed for the deal were not fulfilled, hence Schaft remained with Alphabet. Our source explained that Alphabet's robotics focused shifted away from Schaft and instead to non-humanoid robots and industry-led solutions such as robotic arms.
The departure of Andy Rubin, the controversial robotics evangelist who reportedly got a $90 million payout to leave amid sexual misconduct allegations, seemed to speed up its demise inside the organization. Alphabet shopped the Schaft business fairly widely -- since 2016 and after the SoftBank deal collapsed -- but to no avail, we understand. That left closing it down as the last remaining option.
The departure of Andy Rubin, the controversial robotics evangelist who reportedly got a $90 million payout to leave amid sexual misconduct allegations, seemed to speed up its demise inside the organization. Alphabet shopped the Schaft business fairly widely -- since 2016 and after the SoftBank deal collapsed -- but to no avail, we understand. That left closing it down as the last remaining option.
Re: Zach Patterson / ZIP "Greatest Hits" (lol, not (Score:2)
no surprise (Score:3)
Well ... (Score:3)
Richard Roundtree will not be happy.
Re:Well ... (Score:4, Insightful)
We're talking about Schaft.
Schaft! (Score:3)
Can you dig it?
I guess with the departure of Andy Rubin (Score:3)
the demand for sex-bots wasn't high enough anymore. /s
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the demand for sex-bots wasn't high enough anymore. /s
maybe they were put out of buisness by the lisa tronic 3000 ? :-)
I'll stick with the Cherry 2000
Yeah, they got served! It's already been broughten (Score:1)
> The departure of Andy Rubin, the controversial robotics evangelist who reportedly got a $90 million payout to leave amid sexual misconduct allegations, seemed to speed up its demise inside the organization.
Sweet! Another WIN for the #metoo movement.
Re: (Score:1)
Try some Vagisil if your pussy is hurting.
Re: (Score:1)
Yes, yes, I know you're jealous that you've never been within 10 miles of an adult pussy, but, that is no reason for you to keep fucking around with children. Now stop stop you fucking pedo.
Now, go swallow the shit you have in your mouth.
While your at it, buy a gun, load it, put it in your mouth, and pull the trigger. The world will be a better place for it.
Re: (Score:1)
Now, now. Stop projecting your own insecurities and foibles onto others. Go wash your fifi doll. It's getting gross.
Since you were birthed (shit) out of your father's asshole, you didn't get to see a pussy even at birth. Just to let you know, and asshole isn't a pussy.
Now kowtow to your superior. If you stop being such a cunt, I'll let you lick my boots clean.
You're dismissed.
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If you weren't such a cowardly fucking pedophile you'd know that it is a pop-culture reference dumb-ass. Now, stop diddling children and go fucking kill yourself moron.
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I told you to stop sucking your own dick. Fuck you. I think pop-culture references are humorous. Your the fucking faggotty shild molester who attacks people like a coward from the shadows. I've posted my name and address. I post as my name. You can fuck yourself. If you want to teach me a lesson, then, hitchhike your ass over here by giving blow-jobs to truck drivers like you always do and teach me a lesson. Fucking twat! Go fuck yourself.
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do you only threaten violence from cowardly anonymity? Last night, while you were finger-banding your Mom and sucking your dad's dick, you should've taken the time to look in the mirror.
Yes, I talk to assholes like you exactly like this in person. No, you wouldn't do shit. You're a fucking cowardly little jizz-bucket and you know it. Everyone knows it. Now, go swallow all the cum you have in your mouth from sucking off male-crack-whores before you choke to death on it.
Also, stop messing around with children
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You are really getting yourself worked up aren't you? Did I hit a nerve with you? You know, De Nile ain't just a river in Africa!
Go see your therapist! You need a few more pills. Calm down. Tighten that straight-jacket. Everything will be OK. The bad man will stop scaring you.
Please, I beg you, turn yourself into the police. Get some help. It's not good what you are doing. Lay off the children!
The Robot Revolution (Score:3)
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Given that Google can’t make this a viable business model, its clear there’s no impending “robot revolution” just about to displace millions of workers via automation. Like most things, fear and hype are fed by the ignorant
But there could be a severe impending shortage of cool YouTube videos of running robots.
Think of the children!
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its clear there’s no impending “robot revolution” just about to displace millions of workers via automation. Like most things, fear and hype are fed by the ignorant
Human evolution is slower than the robotic one. They were easy to laugh at when it was just an arm on an assembly line; the equvilent of sticking your hand in a dark room and having to be precise. Whole lot of failure in setting them up and keeping them accurate.
Nowadays machine learning is giving them eyes. The arm can see what its doing. Humans like to think we're pretty clever individually but in reality we just build on what others have done before us. The vast majority are only valued as an arm conne
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For any dynamic automation to work, you need true AI. We're decades away from true, real, AI. What we have today is "task programming". The task of converting speech to text with zero grasp of context, meaning or relationships. suggestions are nonsensical, auto-correct is hilarious. nope, no IA there...
The "task" of driving a
oh dear (Score:3)
Figures (Score:3)
It was a culture fit problem (Score:2)
Am I the only one (Score:2)