What would you want in a personnal servant robot

[Zor]

Posting it here because OSF seems like the best place to put it.

This thread is based off a future evolution of Robotics where developments have made it possible and practical to buy a personnal servant robot able to do tasks such as cleaning up around the house, watering plants, making simple food (making craft dinner or spagetti with jarred tomato sauce, as well as doing stuff such as dicing vegetables and making simple drinks such as gin and tonics), helping out in household repairs and other fairly simple household tasks while responding to voice commands, although are not sapient so people don't have to worry about them evolving or taking over (a bit more ont his latter).

Their are several main points about these robots of note...
1-They have to be roughly human sized (a simple outgrowth of the fact that these are domestic robots and you don't want something the size of an SUV stomping around the house nor would something the size of a cat be able to properly fuction as a servant bot)
2-They can't be armed and are programmed not to attack or kill humans (these are domestic servent robots and everyone thinks this is a bad idea to have robots able to kill someone, even the NRA guys say this is a bad idea if just to keep their whole "guns don't kill people..." spiel going)
3-They must look and sound somewhat diferent than a human being (as in they should not be designed to look identical to a human being, even if it is humaniod with a generally human face, their must be something to discern it as a robot)

But beyond this you can have them in a variety of shapes and styles.

As such, if you were to buy one, what would you want it took and sound like? Would you go for something that fairly closely replicated human apperence (while still being discenrably a robot) or would you go in the oposite direction and make it as non anthropomorphic as possible? Are you more willing for something classic like ASIMO for the general asthetic, would you nerd out and have a recreation of C-3PO or WALL-E. Would it be black or white or be given a slick paint Red or Blue paintjob? Would you give it the voice of a sexy woman/man or would you give it electronic monitone the voice of AUTO?

Zor

[Broomstick]

Mostly I would desire SILENCE.

Not total silence, of course - there would, no doubt, be occasions when I wanted it to respond to me, or report on something, but I find most electronic gadgets these days to be needlessly noisy. Silent, unless a verbal response is requested.

I would like a "privacy mode" so when I wished to engage in private activity I didn't want recorded - whether that was fucking or my morning shit or masturbating or singing in the shower I could ensure no record would be in the robot's memory. In other words, an "off" switch.

Appearance: Humanoid, but not human. Some sort of durable covering, metallic, chrome, artificial leather, whatever. I suppose some options for color and style would be nice but frankly I'm not that worked up about it.

[Singular Intellect]

I shit you not, I would seriously want mine to look exactly like this (or as close as possible).

[harbringer]

This is the wrong board for something sensible 90% of people here simply want a robot that's cool that usually means here a big gun. However I will try to be a little more restrained ... I want a robot (it needn't be anthropomorphic) with AI flexible enough to handle unexpected situations that can learn my preferences and can look after the chores I don't get to or wish to do. It will have to be able to move round the house and pick up items, go up stairs be water proof or at least splash resistant. I will want it able to go water the plants in the garden without getting lost or broken. It will need to provide a list of items needed for shopping or be able to do it itself (due to unit cost I might not trust other people with it as it cant stop itself from being stolen) and lastly it needs some sort of security protocols installed so no one can program it to kill all humans

[Havok]

Until I can make it look like Megan Fox and have sex with it and it is realistic, I'll pass.

[Enigma]

I agree with Broomstick about the privacy thing, but I do want to be able to hear my servant when he moves as I have some hearing trouble.

Nevertheless, I'd like a Darth Vader robot complete with his voice and heavy breathing. Plus to top it off it'll have a fake lightsaber. The only change is that it would be capeless.

If not then I'd go for a T-100\888\etc... Terminator.

There's more but I can't think of any at the moment.

[Gil Hamilton]

As long as it can clean up around the house and do other odds and ends, that's alright. It should also be able to have house hold repair programs loaded on it for assistance in such things.

I also want it non-sapient, because I really don't want it to murder me in self-defense if I allude to having it replaced with a newer model when it gets old, as science fiction assures me will happen.

Also, for amusement at parties, I want a command for various comedy routines. For example, I want to be able to covertly pull an insult comic robot bit or other things. For example, I would want it to appear obviously distressed if I made it cook dinner for a party and say things like "I DID NOT MURDER HIM!" has it brought out a pot roast. Or, depending on how liquor fuelled the party, have the robot carry off one of the female party guests going "MARS NEEDS WOMEN!" Stuff like that.

[loomer]

I personally want a fully sapient robot that WILL murder me when I desire to have it replaced. In all seriousness, I desire a household servant that will also get drunk with me on the steps and sing crappy songs from the '80s.

You know what? Fuck the servant part, just program it to do that, buy whiskey whenever we're out, automatically sort my porn, and scare rowdy gangs of teens. It'd be the best damn rowbit ever.

[Darth Wong]

Until I can make it look like Megan Fox and have sex with it and it is realistic, I'll pass.

Bullshit. I know you're just as lazy as I am, so you would jump at the chance to have a robot which does household chores for you.

[Mayabird]

Until I can make it look like Megan Fox and have sex with it and it is realistic, I'll pass.

Bullshit. I know you're just as lazy as I am, so you would jump at the chance to have a robot which does household chores for you.

To be fair to Hav, there will probably be realistic and customizable Japanese sex-bots before there are practical, general-use household chore servant-bots.

[Singular Intellect]

there will probably be realistic and customizable Japanese sex-bots before there are practical, general-use household chore servant-bots.

There's hope for us elder virgins yet!

[Havok]

Until I can make it look like Megan Fox and have sex with it and it is realistic, I'll pass.

Bullshit. I know you're just as lazy as I am, so you would jump at the chance to have a robot which does household chores for you.

You being right all the time can really get annoying, you know that?

To be fair to Hav, there will probably be realistic and customizable Japanese sex-bots before there are practical, general-use household chore servant-bots.

Thank you for giving me some hope.

[Oskuro]

Ok, since Shroomy has yet to make an appearance, I'll say it:

ROBOT RIVER!

And it is not cheating! You can clearly see she's a robot in that picture!


Now, on the serious side, if I could get a robot to do the ironing of my clothes, I'd be happy, that's the only chore I truly hate.

[Shroom Man 777]

MEATBAG CAMERON!

Yes, I'd also totally go for a robot in the form of a waifishly adorable petite human female like Summer Glau. Man.

Failing that and if we're going with more realistic "HARD SCI-FI" then I'd want my personal servant robot to look like a household appliance, like a legged/wheeled/treaded refrigerator with armatures or something. A domesticated Dalek? Something like that. It'd be totally cool and it could make slight noises, like a functioning refrigerator, when idling about. It could make microwave/toaster ticking sounds when working, and a more audible ding when it has completed its house hold tasks.

I could also put refrigerator magnets and post-it notes on it.

[Zor]

MEATBAG CAMERON!

Yes, I'd also totally go for a robot in the form of a waifishly adorable petite human female like Summer Glau. Man.

Failing that and if we're going with more realistic "HARD SCI-FI" then I'd want my personal servant robot to look like a household appliance, like a legged/wheeled/treaded refrigerator with armatures or something. A domesticated Dalek? Something like that. It'd be totally cool and it could make slight noises, like a functioning refrigerator, when idling about. It could make microwave/toaster ticking sounds when working, and a more audible ding when it has completed its house hold tasks.

I could also put refrigerator magnets and post-it notes on it.

I just hope you live in a one story building in this case.

Zor

[Shroom Man 777]

ELE-VATE!!!

Ideally it'd come in off-road stair-traveling treads. Something like a refrigerator-sized Wall-E.

[Oskuro]

Damm you, Shroomy, that's true! Wall-E is the answer! Garbage compactor, plus good with the kids, what else could you want? Although I guess the RIAA would object to its tendency to record copyrighted material.

[open_sketchbook]

For a more serious answer here's what I got.

The thing needs to fall outside the uncanny valley, seriously. I probably wouldn't have too much of a problem with it but I know others would. Either it has to look human enough to avoid it or it has to be very inhuman. I'd also like it to pack away and remove itself from sight (say into a closet) when not in use; I have a feeling that guests wouldn't necessarily be comfortable around it.

Control wise, you should have to direct the machine. Having an idle mode where it just picks stuff up without direction would result in the unfortunate destruction of a lot of personal effects and would be disruptive to a person's daily routine unless it was very well managed. If somebody wants it to clean the house while they are at work, make sure they are able to easily and clearly designate off limit areas.

The machine needs to navigate stairs with ease, open doors, and have basic interactions with people. Facial recognition and voice patterns obviously needs to be a part of it; it should listen to me and people I designate, and nobody else. Customizable personalities and voices would be nice.

The possibility of the machine going to get groceries for you is unfortunately tempered by the likelyhood of it getting stolen, so it would likely be a purely home machine. Appearance-wise, a Victorian-era servant or maid would be a nice configuration, adding some class to the machine, though I imagine that there would be a variety of options available to people.

The thing should come with a roomba as well, so you don't have to hand it a goddamn vacuum cleaner.

[NecronLord]

While I'd rather like a butler or maid bot, it'd be distracting to think it was not an intelligent being.

Something like a skutter from Red Dwarf:



Would be more appropriate. Though it'd obviously have trouble with stairs in that exact form.

[Solauren]

R2-D2, but with the ability to speak in words.

As long as he doesn't plug into my computers USB port and go surfing the internet for Robo-porn, he should work wonders.

[Crossroads Inc.]

were there ever any good house robots in anime? I want something that looks relatively cool as well as being useful.

[General Zod]

were there ever any good house robots in anime? I want something that looks relatively cool as well as being useful.

That depends on what you mean by "good". I can think of a number of anime shows with robots in them, but the series I can remember with "useful" (relative) servants tend to be stupid shit like Chobits.

[Crossroads Inc.]

See, I was thinking of something that looked like a human sized Gundum or Mecha, but perhaps had the personalit of c3po, IE< a machine that will go out of its way to please me ,and be too spinless to ever revolt.

[Samuel]

[Majin Gojira]

were there ever any good house robots in anime? I want something that looks relatively cool as well as being useful.

That depends on what you mean by "good". I can think of a number of anime shows with robots in them, but the series I can remember with "useful" (relative) servants tend to be stupid shit like Chobits.

You could go with Chachamaru from Mahou Sensei Negima, though she's more "Sciencey Golem" than Robot, or Magic-Fueled Robot.

Change the fuel and you have a pretty effective servant, though per the thread her combat programing would have to be removed...or, 'Renamed.'

But most of the Robot Anime Maids tend to have overblown combat abilities by default for some reason (oh yeah, Comedy!)