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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: Mental Hobbit on Sat, 03 April 2010, 09:44:33

Title: Breakthrough: Personal Robot Folds Towels.
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Sat, 03 April 2010, 09:44:33

Robots just got roped into doing some light housework. Researchers at UC Berkeley used Willow Garage’s PR2 robot to fold towels.
Full article here (http://singularityhub.com/2010/03/31/berkeley-gets-willow-garage-robot-to-fold-towels-simply-stunning-video/).

I'm wondering what's so fascinating about watching a robot fold towels - but it is ****ing fascinating. Interesting background article on the open source Personal Robot here (http://singularityhub.com/2009/06/22/willow-garage-the-personal-robot-will-be-open-source/).

> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385">[/youtube]

Title: Breakthrough: Personal Robot Folds Towels.
Post by: hyperlinked on Sat, 03 April 2010, 09:54:44

That is awesome! I love how it spins the towel around to figure out where the ends are!

Title: Breakthrough: Personal Robot Folds Towels.
Post by: Nonmouse on Sat, 03 April 2010, 11:14:05

That looks almost exactly like how I fold towels- "Where the hell's the corner?  Oh, there it is....  Damnit, why can't I find the other corner?   Ah-ha!"   Fold fold fold...

Title: Breakthrough: Personal Robot Folds Towels.
Post by: clickclack on Sat, 03 April 2010, 15:06:57

Mesmerizing!

Title: Breakthrough: Personal Robot Folds Towels.
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Sat, 03 April 2010, 16:02:02

Quote from: webwit;169306

So this is the same as a robot programmed to paint a car. Or a washing machine.

Not really. Robots programmed to paint cars washing machines have to be told when and where exactly to expect a car or a washing machine. If you feed the car painting robot a washing machine and the washing machine robot a car, the outcome will be nasty.

Title: Breakthrough: Personal Robot Folds Towels.
Post by: clickclack on Sat, 03 April 2010, 16:06:12

Quote from: webwit;169306

I'm not so impressed because I just see a thing executing a programmer's algorithm, very obviously. So this is the same as a robot programmed to paint a car. Or a washing machine. Nice tool though.

yeah, but, but.... did you see the way it moves???

Hmmm... come to think of it, if its searching for the corners, then I wonder how interesting it would be if you handed it a round table cloth to fold =D

Title: Breakthrough: Personal Robot Folds Towels.
Post by: Rajagra on Sat, 03 April 2010, 16:35:34

My cat tends to sleep on any crumpled towels it finds lying around. This could make a deadly (but cartoon-like) combination.

Title: Breakthrough: Personal Robot Folds Towels.
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Sat, 03 April 2010, 19:00:43

I think it'll take a couple more years of development till the robot can properly skin a cat before folding it.