[bandrami]

The human body is sub-optimally designed for most hard work humans do (which is why that work is "hard"). I laugh every time I see AI videos of a human-shaped robot harvesting crops: we have very, very effective crop-harvesting robots right now, and they are shaped like big boxes on wheels because that's a much better shape for doing that.

[XorNot]

Universality matters though. It's less interesting that a hyper specific machine exists for a task than that the same machine might be able to do a wide range of tasks, provided the price point is right.

[obidee2]

“Less interesting” is an interesting value to compare things that are typically measured by utility. Human form factor robots are definitely more interesting to us as humans, but really only economically viable for high mix low volume tasks (of which there are many).

But past a certain scale special purpose machines will always be more cost effective.

[bandrami]

And more annoyingly they will no doubt be given modular behavioral capabilities that require separate subscriptions to use (even the big cube-shaped farming robots do this)

[chickenimprint]

The human form is terrible for most productive things. We are slow, weak, short, and inaccurate. Robotic arms are the true multitalents of manipulating the physical world.

[XorNot]

That doesn't say anything about the human form: it says something about the human body.

But it's also not very accurate on that count: we are actually very strong compared to mechanical systems of a similar size, weight and energy structure.

[chickenimprint]

You're mistaken. It says something about the shape of humans. Bicycles, which are powered by the human body, show the inferiority of bipedalism to wheels, when it comes to fast and efficient locomotion.

[dyauspitr]

Those crop harvesting robots can’t do anything else though. They’re also not very good at weeding, or picking berries or tea. Things that require finesse. Also imagine not having to use the god awful amounts of pesticides we currently use. You’ve got to think of these humanoids as universal. You should be able to tell the robot picking weeds to stop and go do the grocery shopping ideally.

[bandrami]

Why? One tool for one job. I let my gardener robot keep gardening while my grocery shopping robot goes to the store.

[dash2]

A gardener robot should be able to:

- plant new plants (hold plant in pot, remove plant from pot, shake excess soil, dig hole using trowel, place plant in hole, pat down earth, water plant using watering can)

- dig up weeds (using e.g. a hoe, fingers)

- set up a trellis (attach trellis to wall using drilled-in screws; wrap vines around trellis)

- water plants with hose (unwrap hose, turn on tap, spray plants)

etc.

What form factor will beat humans at all these tasks?

[bandrami]

Four different drones, or one drone with four tool attachments. The robot shouldn't need to "use a trowel"; it should be a trowel.

[dyauspitr]

Because these things are going to be priced like cars. Most households can only afford one or two.