[ghaff]

>to do something useful in the home, imo you need to solve navigation _and_ complicated manipulation problems. For self driving, you only need to solve the navigation problem.

Right. It can be challenging to figure out how fast, what lane, should I brake, etc. in many cities. But there are really only a few things the car can control. And its objectives are pretty simple: Obey the law, don't hit anything (and avoid being hit), and get to point B.

By contrast, think of all the different types of manipulation you need to clean up around the house and the 100 judgements you make you decide what needs to be cleaned--which will vary by person.