Technological advancement often blurs the borders of reality and science fiction and we see more and more evidence of that in our homes, offices, and cars. Images of robots cleaning our homes have been around for decades , but will it ever happen? And, if it does, will it be safe? To consider this Google researchers from their deep learning unit Google Brain are looking into AI (artificial intelligence) and have considered that very question. They have teamed with OpenAI and the Stanford and Berkeley universities to explore issues related to using robots in the home, office and industry. Looking at robots that would clean the home they have considered reinforcement learning to train machines to learn through trial and error in a framework of rewards and punishments. The questions of whether a cleaning robot would destroy objects such as vases during the cleaning process, or even create work for itself to earn rewards have been given serious consideration.
Put a group of people together under pressure and rows are bound to break out and that’s the case the Big Brother household where Natalie Rowe and Jackson Blyton have clashed over their views about the rest of the housemates and their contributions to cleaning up. Housemate Charlie Doherty stepped in pointing out that housemates were supposed to work as a team, not argue about the housework. Most households with multiple occupants get into arguments about the cleaning at some time or other. Sound familiar?
Recent research has revealed what many people have often said: that the simpler things in life are what make us most happy. And so it is with a clean home, which 41% of those surveyed about what makes them feel happy identified as a major boost. Natural cleaning brand Method has launched a campaign to respond to the survey’s findings and has launched the #themethodway which amongst other things invites commuters to do a little cleaning up to reveal brightly coloured communal artwork in consideration of colour also being identified as helping to lift mood.
Sources:
http://www.zdnet.com/article/google-wonders-how-to-build-a-cleaning-robot-that-doesnt-destroy-things-in-its-path/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/big-brother-cleaning-row-natalie-8233143
http://www.standard.co.uk/advertorials/how-a-clean-home-can-change-your-mood-a3275956.html