Big vacuum is watching as robo-cleaners put humans behind the wheel

The dream of having a mechanical maid to clean your home is real … sort of. San Francisco residents can now hire a robot cleaner for just $30 an hour, but there's a catch. The robots are at least partially controlled by humans who are watching your home remotely. Tau Robotics cofounder and CEO Alexander Koch announced in a post …

[Derezed]

My policy is to only hire blind cleaners so the idea that a human would see inside my house is anathema. No deal big hoover!

[GoneFission]

This entire industry feels like a quaint precursor in the process of wealthy folks' attempt at expediting a non-human answer to "who's going to guard our bunkers"

[Anonymous Coward]

Check the company website again in a week

That robot will have worn a hole clean through that countertop.

Coming home to find your robomaid has gotten stuck in an infinite loop like that is straight out of the Jetsons ("and I invited the boss over for dinner tonight!")

[xyz]

Given I have form for running off with my cleaners...

I might give this a try. At least there won't be any of that "I was hoovering naked when .." stuff given there's going to be a granny in Grenada driving the thing.

[Joe W]

So humans are doing the steering but because they are dressed up as robots (OK, controlling robots from afar) they don't count as humans....

[Phil O'Sophical]

Security

Let me guess, there's no meaningful security on the video links, so any day now we'll be reading about some gang intercepting them to decide which houses merit a late night personal visit?

[IGotOut]

The current AI / Home robots ethos...

Here is a product that costs more and does a worst job than just simply employing a human in the first place.

[Fr. Ted Crilly]

Now that

Sounds like a good to case the Joint for a bit of the old B&E...

[Bebu sa Ware]

Elon, which Tau says learns where household items belong

Space Karen in a skimpy French Maid's outfit is a picture even AI would not wish to contemplate.

I don't think I would want to be in the same kitchen as Chelsea if "she" were anywhere near the knife block given "her" minder is in California, well known home to some of the craziest people on the planet. Once Tau outsources "mindering" to the usual foresaken parts of the world any unfortunate incidents involving knives won't be easy to prosecute. ;)

Wouldn't USD30.00 per house be well over the odds for these services in the US when performed by humans? (I don't mean just the undocumented.)

[retiredFool]

Re: Elon, which Tau says learns where household items belong

That was 30/hr. Sounds a tad high to me. I've never had a cleaner, but have friends that do. I don't think they pay that kind of money. Although maybe in SF they do.

[MiguelC]

Re: Elon in a skimpy French Maid's outfit

Let me AI Google that for you

[An ominous cow herd]

Re: Elon in a skimpy French Maid's outfit

Oh, my eyes! My eyes! Haaaaaa!

[Wiretrip]

This idea sucks. <I'll get me coat>

[anthonyhegedus]

Remote remote working

So the humans doing the remote control will be at the manufacturer’s site. How long before they too can work at home, or on the bus, or in the pub? You'd end up in a situation where you could be chatting to a friend in a coffee shop and suddenly "hang on, I've just got to fold the cutlery or polish the shirts or something. Oh shit, I've got a dog stuck in my pincer!".

Truth be told, I'd rather have someone I'd met face to face in my house.

The whole thing is a privacy nightmare!

[vogon00]

Why 'Tony'...

I can't help thinking that the model name of 'Tony' is a nod to robot model TN-3 in Asimov's short story 'Satisfaction Guaranteed'*.

I'm not sure I would have chosen that!

_{* Note to the next generation : make sure your read his robot-related fictional works, you'll learn something, or at least have a new POV. His non-fiction is also pretty good:-)}

[RockBurner]

Prescience strikes again...

This all reminds me very much of a "Love, Death, and Robots" episode....

[Doctor Syntax]

"learns where household items belong after a few recurring visits and returns them there"

Picks up the post,opens it, dumps it in bin.

[LoPath]

Don't even think about it

It'll rip your d--- off! -WKUK

[trevorde]

Tesla RoboVacuum

Man in a spandex suit with a Hoover*

* generic UK term for a vacuum cleaner

[Ken Shabby]

Re: Tesla RoboVacuum

They’re taking you to the cleaners.