Google Demos Soda-Fetching Robots

Alphabet's Google is combining the eyes and arms of physical robots with the knowledge and conversation skills of virtual chatbots to help its employees fetch soda and chips from breakrooms with ease. From a report: The mechanical waiters, shown in action to reporters last week, embody an artificial intelligence breakthrough that paves the way for multipurpose robots as easy to control as ones that perform single, structured tasks such as vacuuming or standing guard. Google robots are not ready for sale. They perform only a few dozen simple actions, and the company has not yet embedded them with the "OK, Google" summoning feature familiar to consumers.

While Google says it is pursuing development responsibly, adoption could ultimately stall over concerns such as robots becoming surveillance machines, or being equipped with chat technology that can give offensive responses, as Meta Platforms and others have experienced in recent years. Microsoft and Amazon are pursuing comparable research on robots. "It's going to take a while before we can really have a firm grasp on the direct commercial impact," said Vincent Vanhoucke, senior director for Google's robotics research. When asked to help clean a spill, Google's robot recognizes that grabbing a sponge is a doable and more sensible response than apologizing for creating the mess.

We've had them for a long time already

[devslash0]

They are called vending machines.

Re:

[DarkRookie2]

Or people you can rope in getting something for you cause they are up.
Or mini-fridge at desk with soda in it.
Or some unpaid intern. Google is prolly swimming in those.

Re:

[VeryFluffyBunny]

Ah, but you have to actually get up, walk over to the vending machine, put in some money... I'm exhausted from just describing it. I think maybe Google are aiming for life imitating art, i.e. X-Press 2 Ft. David Byrne - Lazy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

Advanced AI to make them more useful...then?

[LeadGeek]

At some point, we'll want our little robot-minions to be able to figure out more general things for themselves, so they can better serve us. Fast-forward a fair amount to see what comes first, enslavement or sentience. For Orville fans: The Kaylon.

Re:

[Joe_Dragon]

tip me or I put an Micky in your drink

Re:

[DarkRookie2]

Fast-forward a fair amount to see what comes first, enslavement or sentience.

Wouldn't you need the latter to understand the former?

Re:

[nightflameauto]

Oi.

That episode of the Orville was filled with horrible cartoon villain level stupid.

Re:

[Cpt_Kirks]

Hey now.

Everybody loves the Doctor's giant silver vibrator.

Re:

[nightflameauto]

Oh, I dig Isaac.

The flashbacks brought the pain though. That corp dude that decided pain reception was the answer when the bots started questioning orders was next-level stupid. Like, sure, they're not happy now. LET'S MAKE THEM EXTRA UNHAPPY! YEAH!

Gee, wonder how that'd work out?

I know they don't put a ton of thought into every storyline, but they could have, maybe, put a little more into that one.

Re:

[suss]

You know next season will be all about the Bug-Borg, now that the Kaylon have been more or less neutered. Kinda like what they did to Species 8472 in Voyager.

Re:

[nightflameauto]

While they do need a big-bad, I'm pretty sure they've got at least a season worth of rebel Kaylons and Krill shenanigans in front of them right now. Heck, they still need to completely replay the 2020 election in blatant and stupid levels of detail.

The World is Saved!

[Whateverthisis]

Oh thank the Lord, I've been waiting for this. Ever since my spouse left me after I yelled at her to get me a damn beer from the fridge because I was too fat and lazy to get up from the sofa and walk then 10 feet to the fridge myself, I have been completely unable to drink beer! Now, thanks to Google, I can emotionally abuse a robot and be a lazy bum and not get sued for alimony I don't have!

Google. Solving the world's most important problems.

Re:

[Darinbob]

What happens when the robot walks out on you?

Re:

[Whateverthisis]

I'll just put up those magnetic strips that keep my Roomba out of the bathroom.

Re:

[Anubis IV]

What happens when the robot walks out on you?

Oh, just get the wheeled model. They're way ahead of that issue.

Re:

[Iamthecheese]

Sorry my dude. Unless you're satisfied with a robot that can do almost nothing else you'll need to wait 20 years. A robot that can fetch you a beer may take only 15 to be on the market. It will cost an arm and a leg, will be unreliable, and will take more work from you than just fetching your own.

Re:

[Whateverthisis]

What do I need an arm and a leg for if the robot is going to fetch me my beer?

Re:

[Kernel Kurtz]

Unless you're satisfied with a robot that can do almost nothing else you'll need to wait 20 years. A robot that can fetch you a beer may take only 15 to be on the market.

Hopefully the next breakthrough will be mixing cocktails.

Put another log on the fire

[echo123]

...and come and tell me why you're leaving me [youtube.com].

Of all the shit to worry about . . .

[PeeAitchPee]

or being equipped with chat technology that can give offensive responses

I'm guessing a non-trivial number of people would actually ENJOY a smart-assed, irreverent robot waiter spouting off-color humor from time to time. And no, I don't mean noose-brandishing, tiki torch-bearing White Power Mode. But Jesus, worrying about "offensive responses" all the time is why we don't have national treasures like Sam Kinison anymore, and life is a little less fun. In other words, lighten the fuck up, Gen Z. Not everything is a potential hate crime ready to marginalize the BIPOCs.

Re:

[zephvark]

Yeah, Sam Kinison was a real Nazi treasure, all right, err... Alt Right, and if you've forgotten that, you may now find his shows unwatchable.

So Lemme Get This Straight...

[IonOtter]

Google is building AUTO from Wall-E. [fandom.com]

So the people of earth are now going to be soda-slurping blobs being shuttled around in gravity couches.

. . .

Y'know what? Sure. Why not. F*ck it.

Wow I'm realling investing time in this new Google

[poptopdrop]

... and it's gone.

Re:

[BackwardPawn]

Google: We can't make Stadia profitable.
Investors: What CAN you do?
Google: We can make a robot that fetches soda.
Investors: And this will make a profit?
Google: No.

Wall-E!

[sdinfoserv]

The short walk to the vending machine just kills productivity. Google wants their workers to be pale, fleshy blobs, tethered to their workstations like ones in Wall-E https://www.stby.eu/wp_15/wp-c... [www.stby.eu]

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

If you've seen The Orville, you know how this home robot thing ends.

Better left to dogs

[belmolis]

This is a function better left to dogs, many of which have been trained to fetch beer and slippers. With dogs you get companionship and cuddles, which robots cannot supply.

Re:

[zenlessyank]

Wrong and wrong. You can cuddle with a robot and you don't get drool everywhere. Much rather have a robot than a pooping, drooling, flea bitten hound dog.

What the actual F?

[PCM2]

All these jokes were inevitable, but I would seriously like to know: Where is Google going with this? What is the point?

Seriously, if Google bothered to drag reporters out to look at something, the assumption is that Google is saying, "Look at me! I'm creating amazing things! I'm changing the world!" ... or at least something similar.

But nobody wants this. It is an inefficient, ineffective non-solution to a solved problem. So what is the message? Can it really be just as braindead simple as, "Hey neat! Ever

I prefer pneumatic tubes but ...

[dogsbreath]

... the soda gets shaken up and overflows when I open it.

Fast food and cats [vox.com]

I like the idea.

[TronNerd82]

However, we need these robots to also fetch sodas from vending machines, so I'm not faced with spending $1.75 or getting my arm stuck in the machine whenever I want a Pepsi.

So... not only can googlers swill

[bferrell]

cokes and chips at will...
they got a robot to fetch them
I guess they DO need an on site gym

What is my purpose?

[bonedonut]

You fetch soda.

Wall E future

[awwshit]

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0VF... [blogspot.com]

Can't afford insulin

[istartedi]

Can't afford insulin. Spent all my money on this robot.

Oold

[backslashdot]

Nothing new about this. High schoolers have been making less bulky and better versions than this for science fairs. The problem is that no current robot can walk around, and find a soda can in the fridge. Robotics technology sucks. Robotics technology is so bad that the only way to solve this with current technology is by having a specialized robot-friendly compartment for loading and dispensing cans to a robot. Also the layout of your house would have to be such that the robot can easily navigate to you. O

what is my purpose?

[Hentai007]

you fetch soda

Sodas?

[ayesnymous]

I thought Google would offer better beverages than that to employees.

You win, Google

[R3d M3rcury]

If you get me a soda-fetching robot, I will return to the office.