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Dyson’s all in on domestic robots

Dyson has got fed up with waiting and has decided that if the future of flying cars and household robots in The Jetsons is to happen, it has to step up, writes Alan Martin.

Without wanting to worry people, we’re not on target for the future depicted in The Jetsons. Yes, we have smartwatches, tablet computers and video calls, but that’s lowhanging fruit compared to flying cars and household robots Hanna-Barbera Cartoons led us to believewould be possible by 2062.

For the latter, the best we’ve got is Amazon’s Astro which is cute as a button, but a bit useless if you want it to do anything more than follow you around the house playing Spotify.

Dyson has got fed up with waiting and has decided that if this future is to happen, it has to step up. Better known for its vacuum cleaners, hairdryers and stuff-of-nightmares prototypes, the company has said it’s placing a ‘‘big bet’’ on future robots.

This announcement was accompanied by some interesting prototypes and a recruitment drive that will seek ‘‘250 or more experts’’ to help out at its new robotics research centre at Hullavington Airfield in the United Kingdom.

‘‘Dyson employed its first roboticist 20 years ago and this year alone we are seeking 250 more experts for our team,’’ said chief executive Jake Dyson.

‘‘This is a ‘big bet’ on future robotic technology that will drive research across thewhole of Dyson, in areas including mechanical engineering, vision systems, machine learning and energy storage. We need the very best people in the world to come and join us now.’’

If you’re thinking ofmaking the close to 12,875-kilometre trip to apply, the kind of thing you could beworking on is robots that can perform tasks that humans generally take for granted, like picking up discarded toys, moving plates and cleaning furniture. Domestic housework, in other words.

While thismay not sound like a big deal for you if you’ve already done the washing up today, it’s awhole lot more of a headache in robotics, requiring object recognition through computer

Washing up may not sound like a big deal, but it’s a whole lot more of a headache in robotics, requiring object recognition through computer vision, and the delicate touch required to pick up and move items without breaking them.

vision, and the delicate touch required to pick up and move items without breaking them.

Hopefully the ‘big bet’ pays off, and you’ll be able to put your feet up and let robots handle the dishes at some point in the next decade.

Technology

en-nz

2022-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282574496699412

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