Dyson Has Been Secretly Designing Robots To Perform Household Chores For Lazy Humans
We are *this* much closer to getting a home very similar to the one featured in the Disney Channel Original Movie Smart House. Dyson revealed it is working on several robot prototypes (and has been, in secret, for the past decade) that would complete household chores. The hope is that these products will "[save] people time… and [improve] people’s daily lives."
Dyson released a video at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that demonstrated several robot prototypes. The company's goal is to move beyond its well-known vacuums. The robots in the video can be seen moving items around like picking up toys on the ground or placing dishes in a dish rack. Another robot was vacuuming seat cushions. Dyson has not revealed any more information about the prototypes as its projects are currently “top secret,” but all the robots seem focused on helping with everyday chores.
The video showed a glimpse of the “Perception Lab” which focuses on how the robots interpret their environment through sensors, cameras, etc. The robots need to be able to both detect humans and map out their environment to be successful. It was also noted that the information learned in the Perception Lab can be used to “enhance the functionality” of other products they are working on.
Dyson has already hired 2,000 people this past year, many of which are working in robotics. Nevertheless, it plans to further extend its enterprise. It will open two additional headquarters in London and Singapore, hire 250 robotics engineers, and hire an additional 700 robotics employees over the next five years. These plans were part of its motivation to create the video and let the public in on its secret project—it wants to attract robotics engineers. Robotics are one element in Dyson’s £2.75 billion investment plan to develop new technologies and facilities.
Dyson has been working on several rather unique products over the last few years. It recently announced the “Zone,” a wearable that delivers both “pure air and pure audio.” The purpose of the wearable is to “tackle the urban issues of air quality and noise pollution” while providing a comfortable experience for the wearer. The Zone will be available sometime this coming autumn and pricing is not yet available.
Images and video courtesy of Dyson
Dyson released a video at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that demonstrated several robot prototypes. The company's goal is to move beyond its well-known vacuums. The robots in the video can be seen moving items around like picking up toys on the ground or placing dishes in a dish rack. Another robot was vacuuming seat cushions. Dyson has not revealed any more information about the prototypes as its projects are currently “top secret,” but all the robots seem focused on helping with everyday chores.
The video showed a glimpse of the “Perception Lab” which focuses on how the robots interpret their environment through sensors, cameras, etc. The robots need to be able to both detect humans and map out their environment to be successful. It was also noted that the information learned in the Perception Lab can be used to “enhance the functionality” of other products they are working on.
Dyson has already hired 2,000 people this past year, many of which are working in robotics. Nevertheless, it plans to further extend its enterprise. It will open two additional headquarters in London and Singapore, hire 250 robotics engineers, and hire an additional 700 robotics employees over the next five years. These plans were part of its motivation to create the video and let the public in on its secret project—it wants to attract robotics engineers. Robotics are one element in Dyson’s £2.75 billion investment plan to develop new technologies and facilities.
Dyson has been working on several rather unique products over the last few years. It recently announced the “Zone,” a wearable that delivers both “pure air and pure audio.” The purpose of the wearable is to “tackle the urban issues of air quality and noise pollution” while providing a comfortable experience for the wearer. The Zone will be available sometime this coming autumn and pricing is not yet available.
Images and video courtesy of Dyson
