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points by fugalfervor 1 day ago | 0 comments

No, lots of people do not feel similar. You may also be out of touch.

Wait, you haven’t been reading the news for the last 3 decades? Chores for sure, but even componaionship has been on the table (Aibo was oriented at that very thing, and that was late 1990s, I think). Or are you just being very American centric?

[–] fugalfervor 17 hours ago

I am saying that people don't want elder care and community automated away. Businesses surely do. The elderly surely do not.

[–] seanmcdirmid 16 hours ago

So you are going for a slippery slope or straw man rather than a spectrum right? Automation is useful is very different from we can lock old people in robot communities (well, to be fair, it’s not very far from how we treat the problem today with nursing homes).

[–] fugalfervor 9 hours ago

Not really. I'm thinking that robots have limited capactiy to help with community, maintaining mental acuity, and strength training which as I understand it are the three most predictive factors in quality-of-life outcomes for the elderly.

I'm not saying that robots can't help care for them, but rather that the proposed uses of robotics are optimizing for problems that are ultimately not the most important problems to those nearing death.

[–] s1artibartfast 1 day ago

Sure they do.

How do you feel about letting your parents use a dishwasher versus doing the dishes for them?

What about letting them see a doctor instead of taking care of all their medical issues yourself?

Obviously the task that is being outsourced matters. Nobody cares if a robot is taking out the trash. If this allows people more time to focus on real interactions, then that's a good thing

[–] fugalfervor 1 day ago

How exactly is building a robot to take out the trash "robot care for the elderly"? Any chore done by humans -- including but not limited to the elderly -- that can be automated by a robot is considered "robot care for the elderly"?

If that is what the above poster meant, they should have stated it more clearly because it did not come through.

[–] s1artibartfast 1 day ago

That is generally what people mean by robot care for the elderly. Doing chores pertaining to the elderly.

Elderly need a lot of help with a lot of things. Maybe it's the trash, maybe it's helping them find their keys or remembering to take their medication.

What did you think they meant? I assume that if someone meant we need robots to provide companionship or emotional support for the elderly, they would say that instead.

[–] camgunz 1 day ago

They literally mean like, a robot to shower them, wipe their asses, provide companionship, get them in/out of bed, make sure they turn the stove off, make sure they take their meds, alert people if there's a health incident, etc.

[–] s1artibartfast 4 hours ago

I agree with most of that, yes. Chores people dont want to do and the elderly need.

Family can still do the parts they want.

[–] fugalfervor 3 hours ago

I get it now. You're one of the robots! That's a pretty good bit.

[–] ohyes 1 day ago

That is not what anyone means.

A nurse who administers medication, prepares meals, and gets them out of the house and checks on their well being. Full time care for the elderly.