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It's a Sad, Sorry State of Affairs — Parallax Forums

It's a Sad, Sorry State of Affairs

ercoerco Posts: 20,259
edited 2011-08-21 05:16 in General Discussion
The Jetsons and Popular Mechanics were all wrong. It's 2011. No flying cars, no humanoid robots cleaning our houses. The best we can do is Roomba and a marginally self-cleaning kitty litter box: http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/663/9-gadgets-to-keep-your-house-clean

What are we gonna do about it? :(

What are YOU gonna do about it? :)

Comments

  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-08-19 22:56
    erco wrote: »
    ...
    What are YOU gonna do about it?....

    I remember my 6th grade teacher sneering at us because we were "the luckiest generation to ever walk the earth." Her prediction was that we'd have robots do everything for us, we'd never had to clean house or do any menial labor whatsoever. She also predicted we'd only work 3 days a week - maybe even less - a prediction that, for some people, has turned out to be true...

    large_090625c.jpg
  • xanatosxanatos Posts: 1,120
    edited 2011-08-20 14:53
    erco wrote: »
    What are we gonna do about it? :(

    What are YOU gonna do about it? :)

    Hey... I've already got a system in my house that responds to my voice, turns half the stuff in my house on/off by voice command, and speaks to me to confirm commands, tell me information in response to my inquiries... all from a BS2p40. Now, I'm graduating up to propellers, and I anticipate warp drive will follow soon thereafter. So THAT's what I'm doing!

    Dave
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2011-08-20 18:08
    I just spent some time this afternoon with some of my favorite toys.......

    BronzeLineup.jpg


    I can wait a bit longer for technology to pass me by! :lol:
    300 x 220 - 33K
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2011-08-21 00:46
    Problem is our estimates of progress are always too high in the short term and too low in the long term. This is a short term adjustment while the world catches up to the leading edge.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2011-08-21 01:36
    I'm starting to build a RepRap (Prusa Mendel) 3D printer now. While it's not exactly a replicator, it's still awesome new tech...
    (The plastic parts are being printed on another Mendel somewhere else in Norway as we speak, and other parts are on their way in the post)

    I especially like the fact that a lot of the structural bits are made using other 3D printers.
    They're also working on printing electronics, but that seems to be slow going for now.
  • HumanoidoHumanoido Posts: 5,770
    edited 2011-08-21 05:16
    It is not sad or sorry.
    Maybe someone's cup of tea is half empty!

    It's kinda like George Jetson here.
    ...building a big brain with an airport on top to launch and control aircraft.
    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?124495-Fill-the-Big-Brain&p=1029059&viewfull=1#post1029059
    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?124495-Fill-the-Big-Brain&p=1029224&viewfull=1#post1029224

    ...use wireless transmitters to control a precision helicopter.
    ...smart home has electronic windows.
    It knows if someone is at the door.
    It speaks with a BASIC Stamp.
    It monitors the home interior.

    ...sometimes fly to work. ...also take the bullet train which is magnetically levitated.
    ...can commute and work virtually by remote some days. Work can be transferred through space at the push of a button.

    There's an amazing piece of technology in the shirt pocket (iphone). Shop electronically. Electronic maps and navigation. Keep in touch with friends across the world from a desk. Internet available from almost anywhere. ...use electronic pages.

    ...Have a small home humanoid that can walk, Tai Chi, martial arts, run, and show off. Operate my own small space program. Have electronic cameras for a special portable astronomical observatory.

    Operate electronic locks, electronic stove, electronic smart machines to do bill handling, watch movies on a computer, run a paper-less office, have automatic electronic climate control, and can monitor world news any time day day or night. Have a microwave oven to cook in 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

    Books are electronic. Some have motion pictures instead of still photos. The bus is electric. Bikes and small cars are electric. The skyscrapers are so tall the tops disappear into the clouds. The world has many high tech mega projects.. there's plenty more...

    We have also walked on the Moon, driven our remote cars on Mars, and visited asteroids with our robot eyes.
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