[Tyler]

Prototype of a robotic system with emotion and memory
5 February 2015, 7:11 pm

Researchers have developed a prototype of a social robot which supports independent living for the elderly, working in partnership with their relatives or carers. 

Source: Robotics Research News -- ScienceDaily

[DemonRaven]

Sure it would have to be in Europe and part of a smart-home environment. That counts me out as being able to use it in a few years.

[Don Patrick]

I don't see why that should count you out. Europe has been experimenting with these kind of droids even without smart-homes (which isn't that big a deal to begin with. Get your smart home system for $888 or so). If they have success, there's no reason why they wouldn't immediately ship it to America for the huge commercial value. Seriously, compared to European countries, America's market opportunity is huge. If you'd look up the spread of Roombas throughout the world, I bet America would stand out.

[Art]

Yeah and that's a real shame about those awful Roombas. That was all due to marketing. There are FAR BETTER robot vacuums out there for equal money. Neat-O is one that comes to mind. Costs near the same or less and is capable of so much more! But it never got the branding that the other one did. Yes...it is the motto of the salesman, "Sell the sizzle...not the steak!"

Just saying....

[DemonRaven]

Umm don the price you quoted equals two months of what i get on disability. Plus that does not even count the cost of the actual robot and i am sure the price is sky high.  There is no way my brats would pay for it.

[Art]

The Neat-O runs for about $400 and will run circles around the Roomba (without bumping into furniture to navigate).

My wife has severe arthritis, Lupus, Sjogrens Syndrome, Ankylosing and is on a low grade cancer drug. Going up and down stairs causes her a lot of pain.
I invested in a Neat-O many years ago. It basically lives downstairs and can come on all by itself, vacuum, return to the charger by itself when "tired" then go back to finish where it left off! It moves about by mapping out the room using it's built-in laser so it knows where it has cleaned and it does not have to rely on a bumper hitting a piece of furniture. The laser "sees" an object then navigates around it. It does not vacuum leaving those "crop circle" swirls in the carpet, but more like straight lines as if one used a standard vacuum.

No, I do not work for the company. I just love their product. In 4 - 5 years of vacuuming 2 days a week (the entire downstairs - about 1040 sq. ft.), I've had to purchase one new battery pack (about $30 - 40, I think). Simple magnetic strips can be cut and laid down to keep the vacuum within certain desired areas. (it will not fall downstairs on it's own either). For us, that's less than $100 / year to have our carpet vacuumed clean!

So, yes, we get good value, saving my back, I don't have to lug the upright vac down and up the stairs, saving my wife's health and ending up with a nicely cleaned carpet! She loves it and that's all I need to hear!

Can't say much about Neat-O's emotional response but we feed it all the electricity it wants so it must be happy! 

[DemonRaven]

Ya well i bite the bullet and do the house work myself it hurts but  i am not going to give in and go someplace where i have others do it for me. I totally refuse to go to a home. I used to work in them and believe me robots would do a much better job.