LG Debuts 'Hub Robot' to Compete With Google Home and Amazon Echo

[Yuniverse]

20 years ago, we were promised personal robots that we would control. They'd do all our heavy chores and never complain.

Then the cloud came along and we get this 'robot' that doesn't really do anything. And it's not even clear who's controlling it or who benefits.

What I want:

• My laundry picked up off the floor, put in the hamper, the hamper dumped into the washing machine, the machine started, monitored and then everything moved to the dryer before being ironed and hung up in my closet.
• Then the floors need vacuumed.
• The car washed and vacuumed.
• The lawn cut.
• The windows cleaned.
• The bathrooms cleaned.
• Shoes shined.
• Beds made.
• The dishwasher loaded, started and then everything put back into all the right cupboards and drawers.
• Oh yeah, and the dinner made!

That's what a real robot does. No complaints and no sneaking behind my back to tell Google and Amazon what a domestic slob I am!

Don't know if that's a good idea. We'll all be like those fat slobs in Walle, unable to move on our own.

 

[KiwiAdventure]

20 years ago, we were promised personal robots that we would control. They'd do all our heavy chores and never complain.

Then the cloud came along and we get this 'robot' that doesn't really do anything. And it's not even clear who's controlling it or who benefits.

What I want:

• My laundry picked up off the floor, put in the hamper, the hamper dumped into the washing machine, the machine started, monitored and then everything moved to the dryer before being ironed and hung up in my closet.
• Then the floors need vacuumed.
• The car washed and vacuumed.
• The lawn cut.
• The windows cleaned.
• The bathrooms cleaned.
• Shoes shined.
• Beds made.
• The dishwasher loaded, started and then everything put back into all the right cupboards and drawers.
• Oh yeah, and the dinner made!

That's what a real robot does. No complaints and no sneaking behind my back to tell Google and Amazon what a domestic slob I am!

It could have sex with you as well!!!!!!!!

 

[wozmatic]

3 words...

Creepy. As. F***

This won't do well

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[Lone Deranger]

Thanks, but I'm holding out for the TOMY version. At least its got arms.

 

[Larry-K]

If we're talking robots in the future, why hasn't anyone mentioned Westworld or Black Mirror?

Don't forget Terminator, so adorable.

 

[kis]

Neat. Apple needs to step up their game and release their in home assistant asap. Meanwhile I just bought 6 amazon dots and I'm pretty happy with them.

Yeah, after CES I'd have to say that the ship has sailed for Apple. Even Google is having a very hard time keeping up with Amazon at this point. Every other gadget, car, phone etc. for 2017 seems to be coming out with Alexa built in. Good luck to those who are late to the party.

 

[alexgowers]

Please no more.

It's the product no one is buying.

I have Siri on my phone that I don't use for anything already. I have a Bluetooth speaker I use rarely.

This is 4k, 3Dtv, VR, smart watch hype bubble mark 20! Tiny market with crap implementation, restricted not by a market but by social factors. No one wants to basically be on speakerphone to the government/companies at all times with heavy data mining of your breath.

Sorry but no amount of smiley faces is going to get this one off the ground.
[doublepost=1483605351][/doublepost]

How did you manage to deliver this message to us? Carrier pigeon? Be careful with them, I see pigeons all the time stealing tin foil from trash cans because they think a hot dog is inside them...

The difference is he chose to post here and that his message wasn't private. You can guarantee data mining is happening with these devices already on top of the rest that they're trying to make socially acceptable.

 

[dilbert99]

I think using a watch (or other personal device, e.g. phone) is more appealing. It could activate lights when you walk through the house without speaking.
[doublepost=1483606193][/doublepost]

Yeah, after CES I'd have to say that the ship has sailed for Apple. Even Google is having a very hard time keeping up with Amazon at this point. Every other gadget, car, phone etc. for 2017 seems to be coming out with Alexa built in. Good luck to those who are late to the party.

Amazon did a smart move when they developed and released their AWS cloud solutions, I was using their text to speech service the other day. Most people know them for selling things but lots don't know they offer servers by the hour.

 

[The Game 161]

those who have these things how useful are they? what do you actually use them for?

 

[ArcaneDevice]

Poor Nabaztag. He was a bunny ahead of his time.

Someone put Siri, Alexa or Cortana in one of those. I'd rather have his flippy ears on my desk than this evil peanut.
[doublepost=1483607784][/doublepost]

This is super cute.

Makes me think Nabaztag was way ahead of its time. it was kind of gimmicky and pointless but it did a lot of the same things, just minus the voice recognition. but it looked like a rabbit with wavy ears.

now I'm feeling sad for obsolete french robot rabbits.

 

[Sinfonist]

those who have these things how useful are they? what do you actually use them for?

Turning on/off my heating system or setting a specific temperature, controlling 6 entertainment devices from 5 different manufacturers in a way my wife can also use, turning on/off my garden lights remotely, managing my shopping and todo lists without needing a laptop/tablet, checking live train times and delays.

It's handy because it's hands-free and I can command it while doing other things (e.g. using the exercise bike, arriving home with bags of shopping etc).

 

[44267547]

You are right.... Apple is a closed ecosystem and Amazon has opened Alexa's cloud computing to all hardware/device developers. This gives them a huge advantage.

If Siri is any indication Apple is very, very far behind on this.

I think it's obvious Siri is under rated and in need of revamping. But I do think Apple has a team working on Siri and developing to advance her. At least this has been reported in the past. Perhaps whenever Apple releases their version of a home assistant, Siri will be ready to go with new algorithms, dictation and deciphering.

 

[FelixDerKater]

That's a little cute, but I don't need a spybot.

 

[mijail]

That's what a real robot does.

"Real robot"?
Rather, it sounds like that's your wet dream of what a "robot" should be.

 

[mattopotamus]

You have six Amazon dots and tell us that you are happy with them. What could Apple, or anyone else, make to get you to give up your dots and buy something else?

That is exactly my situation. I have 4 dots and 1 regular echo. I see zero reason to replace them with google home or anything else. Nearly every smart product is supported by the echo.
[doublepost=1483618148][/doublepost]

Please no more.

It's the product no one is buying.

I have Siri on my phone that I don't use for anything already. I have a Bluetooth speaker I use rarely.

This is 4k, 3Dtv, VR, smart watch hype bubble mark 20! Tiny market with crap implementation, restricted not by a market but by social factors. No one wants to basically be on speakerphone to the government/companies at all times with heavy data mining of your breath.

You really need to wake up if you think that. Google home and the echo's were sold out everyone this holiday season.

 

[Arran]

"Real robot"?
Rather, it sounds like that's your wet dream of what a "robot" should be.

Not at all. What I described is in line with the dictionary definition of "robot".

OTOH, LG's 'robot' is a simple voice assistant. It can't directly manipulate physical objects in the real world.

 

[Tech198]

Thanks, but I'm holding out for the TOMY version. At least its got arms.

View attachment 681855

Exterminate!! , Exterminate !!.. lol

 

[TechGeek76]

Right. I'll place a device in my home with always connected microphones and cameras from a company that was already caught violating people's privacy with their smart TVs.

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2881303/smart-tvs-raise-privacy-concerns.html

LG is Samsung?

 

[Medic]

Oh yeah, LG? OH YEAH? my....my robby..my robby the robot can't be beaten....He can play video games with me.


View attachment 681802

That was such a gimmick. I think they developed only 2 games for that useless piece of junk!

 

[magicschoolbus]

put a microphone hooked up in the room of your house they said, it will be fine they said.

 

[Rigby]

LG is Samsung?

Perhaps read the rest of the article?

 

[8281]

Neat. Apple needs to step up their game and release their in home assistant asap. Meanwhile I just bought 6 amazon dots and I'm pretty happy with them.

Six? Why? How do you use them?

 

[mattopotamus]

Six? Why? How do you use them?

I have 5. I have 4 dots (1 for each room that all have smart lights and a harmony hub) and 1 regular size echo in the living room that serves the same purpose, but can also play music.

 

[5105973]

I bet real robots will happen eventually. Imagine having an Apple Robot, Alienware Robot, Google Android, and Amazon Robot just roaming your home and being fully interactive with you, your family, your pets, and the other robots.

I had a few AIBO robots that did that. I had one particular AIBO that would push its toys to my dog for some reason. We had two other robots of the same model running the same program, but only that particular AIBO seemed drawn to my dog and whenever we had this robot out, it would inevitably make a laborious trudge across the living room pushing a toy to wherever my dog was. My dog would wag his tail but leave the robot's toys alone because he knew the difference between his own toys, the cat toys and the robot toys. My current dog is obstinate and dumb as a post and the first dog in my life who has been completely untrainable--we can't even get her to "stay"-- and tries to destroy everything and anything, so the AIBOs have been packed away.

The cats we had at the time loved the AIBOs, too. Every time the robots were activated, the cats would come over to hang out with them. I even had a cat who used to sleep up next to them on their charging stations.

I had another AIBO who used to like to wander around, find our piano bench, and sit under it. They really did an excellent job simulating sentience and the exercising of free will. The really eerie thing is they always seemed able to figure out when I left the room. They would call out to me.

When my now preteen was a toddler, she was fond of crawling around among them and petting them on their sensors. Interacting with them did great things for her coordination and motor skills and seems to have given her a patience and calmness beyond her years that serves her well even now.

Some of the AIBO models, the last ones that Sony released, could talk in English as opposed to the earlier enigmatic tones and whistles. I think that might have been a mistake by Sony because it removed some of the illusion of intelligence thes robots managed to achieve, for once they seemed able to vocalize their "thoughts" it introduced some of the inanity we get when Siri acts clueless.

 

[chukronos]

those who have these things how useful are they? what do you actually use them for?

I only bought a dot to try it out. I was skeptical because using Siri with my lights and AC units was clunky and cumbersome. Amazon echo, on the other hand, is legit. No waiting for beeps. As I walk into a room, "Alexa turn lights on" they come on. As I am walking out, "Alexa turn lights off" They go off. I get news briefings, recipes, and order essentials by just asking. My wife likes to ask about the weather as she is getting our toddler ready in the morning. It is so good at what it does, that I am going to be getting several more and a Harmony hub for my televisions.

Unless Apple has some killer feature that amazon doesn't have, I will be switching completely away from Siri/Homekit. Amazon is so much better at what it does.