The Future Is Now (Spiffy!)

June 16, 2003 5:16 AM

Bonding with your robot vacuum
posted by Tlogmer (6 comments total)

But Rosie was HOT...
posted by Samizdata at 5:36 AM on June 16, 2003

I love it. Also, I have to confess, this makes me want one.
posted by redfoxtail at 7:27 AM on June 16, 2003

I hear: if you have pets or kids, forget about the robot vac. Make the kids vacuum. (vacuum is a weird looking word).
posted by crunchburger at 7:36 AM on June 16, 2003

Thanks, Tlogmer, that's an interesting series of links. For me, apart from the 'pop culture' angle - as in 'how weird that these people are bonding with their vacs' - this raises an interesting question regarding AI. Does AI involve building machines which *really* think, or does it involve building machines which make *us* think that they think. In the latter case, it could be argued that much of the computational work needed for AI is displaced onto the human brain - client rather than server side, as it were. Making AI cheaper, and running counter to much of the 'hard' AI research.

Also, I want one too! Although I'd rather it looked like the Noo-noo.
posted by carter at 7:36 AM on June 16, 2003

I know it's a cheap shot, but this is what I thought of upon seeing the FPP.
posted by TedW at 8:30 AM on June 16, 2003

I didn't mean to put the kibosh on this thread; I really want a vacuuming robot too. In fact, I need two, given the floor plan of my house. The dogs would love it.
posted by TedW at 7:52 PM on June 16, 2003