There is a charity that my family supports that works with developmentally disabled people. One of the interesting things I learned when I attended one of their fundraisers was that part of their mission was finding jobs that developmentally disabled people would excel at due to their disability.
For instance: the guy who takes the ticket at the theaters in my city (Phoenix) is often a DD person. I thought this was odd, until I made the connection that this is literally a partnership between that company an the charity I'm talking about.
Most punk kids will get bored at this job, be snarky, not want to do it, etc. But some people with certtain DDs actually really enjoy it. They get to talk to people, they feel useful instead of feeling like a burden, they get a paycheck, etc. And for the company (harkins theaters) they get a happy, competent employee that enjoys their job.
It's a win win. And it's a perfect example of embracing the concept of "differently abled" instead of disabled. Made me really happy to learn that.
I once interviewed with a company in NC that only employed blind people (to manufacture reading glasses, of all things!). NC has a provision for sub-minimum wage payments for those with disabilities [0]. This is to encourage employers to hire those with disabilities and give them at least some form of a wage. Per the interviewing process, it really seemed to help a lot of disabled people have a life. Their jobs got them out of the house/care facility, interacting with other people, and gave them a purpose in life(however mundane). Though I declined the job, it was an incredible company and view into the day to day lives of disabled citizens and their struggles. More states should consider such provisions to see if they may work for their people.
My mom used to be an executive director that found work and provided housing for developmentally disabled adults. I remember the challenge they had finding jobs they could excel at. They got a contract with Hitachi to pack boxes, once they worked with the factory to delegate the work, which involved color coding the boxes and determine the packing order, it became one of the favorite jobs for individuals with more individuals wanting the job then there where positions. It was great for the lower functioning individuals who were not in a position to engage with others. The other jobs that got filled quickly were custodial for the higher functioning individuals.
Interesting. Your post reminded me of this story in Australia recently. While this man wasn't placed through a charity, he found a similar enjoyment in his job
This is fantastic. Although I'm currently unable to watch the videos, I'm hoping that the people controlling the robots have various forms of feedback so that the interactions can give them some much needed human contact.
If they do open a permanent cafe of this type I'll be sure to visit next time I'm in the area.
They appear to have a video monitor with a camera feed from the robot, but I can’t figure out how they actually control the robot and how responsive it is.
I always thought this is how we should clean our houses (when we pay other people to clean our houses). Robovacs are great for smoothish floors, but most other cleaning tasks are too complicated for autonomous robots. With a good humanoid robot controlled by someone living anywhere, it would be easier.
I don't really understand why, but the idea of somebody sitting behind a computer somewhere, controlling my vacuum is just really weird and unsettling. I also understand that this could help handicapped people or people in less fortunate countries earn a decent wage, but then again, it feels odd. Also, paying for a vacuum and then paying a fee to the person using it feels weird... Even though hiring a cleaning lady is pretty much the same thing.
Thanks for this, now I'll be thinking about this all day. And I'll probably have intense discussions with people about the ethics and their feelings toward this idea at parties... Because I know I'll bring it up.
With the current state of robotics, a robot would either be incapable of cleaning my apartment, or would be capable of doing serious damage to it, or, realistically, both.
Maybe in a few decades, but right now, the last thing I want is an ai-controlled, or remote-controlled robot that is capable of scrubbing tile and cleaning caulking, moving my crap around, and wiping down hard-to-reach surfaces inside my apartment.
Unlike humans, if it is using too much force for the task at hand, it will have no awareness that it's likely to cause damage.
The hard part of cleaning isn't pushing a vacuum cleaner around.
Instead of at the consumer level, I can see this being viable at a commercial level. Robot vacuums and floor cleaners that clean office and retail building surfaces controlled by those who are not physically able to do so.
Interestingly. You could remotely train a robot. Which things go where. After that the robot could do a lot on its own. And you could remotely manage a fleet of robots.
My vision of the future for the cleaning service industry:
Robot at home on stand by a la I,Robot movie
:"Good morning Mr. Anderson,
our remote cleaning specialist is ready to clean your home, do you comply?"
pass code confirmation needed
:"Thank you, our services will take approximately 45 minutes. Please stand clear while we complete our task. Thank you Mr. Anderson. Have a Wonderful day!"
:"Please note that your next remote cleaning will require a renewal of your service agreement. Please take time to fill in the survey, confirm your subscription, and adjust your cleaning times, and thank you again for being a valued customer here at CleanTech"
I don't think this is just semantics—isn't this actually a cafe staffed by paralyzed people, who control robots? This headline is bit like saying a warehouse is staffed by forklifts, controlled by operators.
For those wondering which novel: John Scalzi's Lock In. I enjoyed it, though I generally find his work hit-and-miss. It' s a detective story set in the near future where a significant percentage of the population is paralyzed due to a pandemic. The paralyzed operate in society by using android avatars.
The concept of that movie was really insightful, but the trailer looked kind of terrible. Was there any Ghost In The Shell kind of deep philosophy, or was it just a Hollywood excuse to blow things up and do completely unrealistic action scenes?
But it’s a bit scary that the telecommute, which maybe hasn’t, I think, caught on - at least as a means to include in-demand, distributed “information” workers - might catch on at scale when purposed in a way that could physically exclude workers with “menial” jobs from the need to live locally.
This is fascinating! If you're interested in some of research on neurotechnologies (e.g. BCI-controlled robots/robotic limbs), check out the BrainGate research group: https://www.braingate.org/
This is a great concept. It does feel weird though that it’s tied to an anime... I can’t tell why exactly this exists. Is it a venture into much needed independence for paralyzed people? Or... is it horribly distasteful advertising that will soon be taken away?
I highly doubt that advertising a 10 year old anime would be very profitable. If anything it's an ad for the robots. The robots designed specifically to help disabled people.
Two of the three cofounders of the company were bedridden for long periods of time due to illness and wanted to help people in similar situations. They also employ several physically disabled people as remote workers.
It won't soon be taken away though, it already shut down. It was intended as a short pilot run. They plan to partner with some existing restaurants for the same sort of thing on a more permanent basis starting next year.
Robots are autonomous mechanisms. These are waldoes. Not to belittle the purpose and sentiment (and kudos to the effort to better enabling those with physical restrictions), but an androideqsue waldo is just not a robot.
I bet you couldn't find a single person on the street that is aware of that distinction if you went out right now and asked 100 of them.
"Cafe opens in Tokyo staffed by waldos..." is a complete regression to me, though I suppose I'd click the headline just to find out what the hell a waldo is.
It seems like most actual robots and waldos would contain the other. These waldos presumably have many autonomous mechanisms, for not bumping into each other, not dropping things, wayfinding, etc.
And the robots at a car factory are monitored and frequently reprogrammed, stopped and started, etc by humans. So in many respects they are a waldo.
How do you draw the line? Is it by percentage of mechanisms? Or frequency of human input?
It's a news article, after all -- and fundamentally more about, you know, people rather than technology. So in that sense the distinction hardly matters.
For me even better idea would be to create coffe&chat type of Cafe. When real people can talk with other real people, though via robotic interface (contrary to human controlled robotic waiters which can be replaced with AI controlled robotic waiters at some point).
[+] [-] blhack|7 years ago|reply
For instance: the guy who takes the ticket at the theaters in my city (Phoenix) is often a DD person. I thought this was odd, until I made the connection that this is literally a partnership between that company an the charity I'm talking about.
Most punk kids will get bored at this job, be snarky, not want to do it, etc. But some people with certtain DDs actually really enjoy it. They get to talk to people, they feel useful instead of feeling like a burden, they get a paycheck, etc. And for the company (harkins theaters) they get a happy, competent employee that enjoys their job.
It's a win win. And it's a perfect example of embracing the concept of "differently abled" instead of disabled. Made me really happy to learn that.
[+] [-] Balgair|7 years ago|reply
[0] https://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/wage-and-hour-laws/sta...
[+] [-] wizardforhire|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Rodeoclash|7 years ago|reply
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3869008/McDonald-s-...
[+] [-] confiscate|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] antisthenes|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] alias_neo|7 years ago|reply
If they do open a permanent cafe of this type I'll be sure to visit next time I'm in the area.
[+] [-] chrischen|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] matt_morgan|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] donkeyd|7 years ago|reply
Thanks for this, now I'll be thinking about this all day. And I'll probably have intense discussions with people about the ethics and their feelings toward this idea at parties... Because I know I'll bring it up.
[+] [-] vkou|7 years ago|reply
Maybe in a few decades, but right now, the last thing I want is an ai-controlled, or remote-controlled robot that is capable of scrubbing tile and cleaning caulking, moving my crap around, and wiping down hard-to-reach surfaces inside my apartment.
Unlike humans, if it is using too much force for the task at hand, it will have no awareness that it's likely to cause damage.
The hard part of cleaning isn't pushing a vacuum cleaner around.
[+] [-] clashmoore|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kwhitefoot|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] corpMaverick|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] SonnyWortzik|7 years ago|reply
Robot at home on stand by a la I,Robot movie
:"Good morning Mr. Anderson, our remote cleaning specialist is ready to clean your home, do you comply?"
pass code confirmation needed
:"Thank you, our services will take approximately 45 minutes. Please stand clear while we complete our task. Thank you Mr. Anderson. Have a Wonderful day!"
:"Please note that your next remote cleaning will require a renewal of your service agreement. Please take time to fill in the survey, confirm your subscription, and adjust your cleaning times, and thank you again for being a valued customer here at CleanTech"
LOL day dreaming is fun.
[+] [-] canada_dry|7 years ago|reply
But - of course - the human interaction component is probably the most fulfilling for the operator.
[+] [-] thinkingemote|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jbhatab|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cfqycwz|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jplayer01|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sigfubar|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sempron64|7 years ago|reply
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_In
[+] [-] cjdell|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] AlanSE|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ianai|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] loosetypes|7 years ago|reply
But it’s a bit scary that the telecommute, which maybe hasn’t, I think, caught on - at least as a means to include in-demand, distributed “information” workers - might catch on at scale when purposed in a way that could physically exclude workers with “menial” jobs from the need to live locally.
[+] [-] dpflan|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] b_tterc_p|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] opencl|7 years ago|reply
Two of the three cofounders of the company were bedridden for long periods of time due to illness and wanted to help people in similar situations. They also employ several physically disabled people as remote workers.
It won't soon be taken away though, it already shut down. It was intended as a short pilot run. They plan to partner with some existing restaurants for the same sort of thing on a more permanent basis starting next year.
[+] [-] unknown|7 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] antepodius|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bregma|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hombre_fatal|7 years ago|reply
"Cafe opens in Tokyo staffed by waldos..." is a complete regression to me, though I suppose I'd click the headline just to find out what the hell a waldo is.
[+] [-] JTon|7 years ago|reply
I never heard the term Waldo before. For those who are interested, more info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_manipulator
[+] [-] erikpukinskis|7 years ago|reply
And the robots at a car factory are monitored and frequently reprogrammed, stopped and started, etc by humans. So in many respects they are a waldo.
How do you draw the line? Is it by percentage of mechanisms? Or frequency of human input?
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