Andy Rubin's New Gig: Heading Up Google's Robotic Future

[dgstorm]

When Andy Rubin stepped down as head of the Android Division at Google earlier this year it came as a shock. At that time, they made it clear that he wasn't leaving the company, but was instead focusing on other projects for Google. The year is almost up and only now are we getting the details on just what Andy has been up to. It turns out, Mr. Rubin is still in charge of androids, just not the Google mobile OS variety. A new report from the New York Times indicates that Andy Rubin is now the head of Google's robotics division. He is working on developing more intelligent robotics for industrial based applications, right now, but his work could lead to other advancements.

Right now they are calling his work a "moonshot" which refers to the fact that it could take a decade before the results of his work are realized. Here's a quote from the NYT article with a few more details,

“Like any moonshot, you have to think of time as a factor,” Mr. Rubin said. “We need enough runway and a 10-year vision.”

Mr. Rubin, the 50-year-old Google executive in charge of the new effort, began his engineering career in robotics and has long had a well-known passion for building intelligent machines. Before joining Apple Computer, where he initially worked as a manufacturing engineer in the 1990s, he worked for the German manufacturing company Carl Zeiss as a robotics engineer.

“I have a history of making my hobbies into a career,” Mr. Rubin said in a telephone interview. “This is the world’s greatest job. Being an engineer and a tinkerer, you start thinking about what you would want to build for yourself.”

He used the example of a windshield wiper that has enough “intelligence” to operate when it rains, without human intervention, as a model for the kind of systems he is trying to create.

What do you guys think? Will Andy Rubin help to usher in a new era of automated prosperity or slavery to robotic overlords?

Source: NewYorkTimes

 

[Dusty]

I was just talking to a co-worker about something like this yesterday. Our biggest discussion happened on two topics...

How much would you pay for an iRobot (the Will Smith movie) style robot that had the capability to do EVERY physical chore in your household?

What happens to everybody that has a job that revolves around physical tasks at that point?

 

[wicked]

Good stuff! That pose though. :icon_eek:

 

[xsylus]

Talk about my childhood dream :nerd:

 

[AECRADIO]

I wish I had access to 'unlimited' resources and the ability to create things I find interesting.
There ideas in mind and that have real world applications, but the ability to realize them as more than passing fancy is disturbing to me.
Just the thought of having the ability to bring my projects and plans to fruition would be exhilarating, and offering them as products would be a my greatest desire.
I build several one-offs for customers, and find that my designs have further use in other applications as well.
I lack the financing to bring them into reality as my packaging is also application a specific, meaning the casing is designed to be incorporated within the commercial product.
Having a bank full of cash is a wonderful means to spark real creativity, I wish I lived in such an area and also near businesses such as Google, that look for such people (assumed).

 

[johnomaz]

I was just talking to a co-worker about something like this yesterday. Our biggest discussion happened on two topics...

How much would you pay for an iRobot (the Will Smith movie) style robot that had the capability to do EVERY physical chore in your household?

What happens to everybody that has a job that revolves around physical tasks at that point?

I'm not sure I would have one that does every chore around the house. I do enjoy doing certain things myself. For me, one big thing would be cleaning house. I scrubbed my shower the other day and the fumes were horrible, my already bad back felt worse after it too. Having a robot to do those things would be great and I don't have to wonder if I'm being stolen from.

Knowing Google, the robots would be free but would have the ability to scan every product in our house so they can give us very targeted ads, know when items are wearing out and need to be replaced and deliver ads for that specific item.