Why Is It So Hard to Build Profitable Robot Companies?
<i>"Overselling is a dangerous strategy that can be counterproductive, even for the whole robotics community. Both companies and researchers publish videos of robots doing tasks, but sometimes they fail to point out the limitations of the technology or that those results were achieved in lab conditions. This makes it much more difficult to explain to non-roboticist industry executives the difference between creating a one-off demo and creating a real product that works reliably."</i><p>This makes me think of automobiles - cars were first seen as "a rich man's toy", but Henry Ford worked hard to change that perception.  He said cars are for anyone. They can be used to go to work, to visit family, to go sightseeing.<p>I still don't see basic needs like that being addressed with robotics.  For instance, is it going to take out the trash?  Clean the toilets?  Fix the plumbing?