You need to compare apples with apples. Cars have a benefit of transportation that many people need.

'98 civics will run but they are massively outdated in terms of safety and technology. You get into an accident with 20+ year old designed and rusted metal frame, you're going to be in a world of hurt.

Designs most certainly have changed massively as well. Furthermore the poorest still don't have cars and need public transit and as I mentioned before the elderly class are on fixed or government benefits. Where would they get the money to fund even a modestly cheap robot?

Also, despite cars being 'cheaper' if hedge to inflation, the upkeep costs sure have not. i.e. insurance, tires, heck even gasoline have all gotten more expensive.

To prove a point. I bought a top of the line desktop in 2000, it cost me $1.2K. To buy the same today would cost me $3K.

Longer term, I honestly think humanoid robots and robotics in general will stay at factories and businesses. To make a robot that can do all the tasks a human can with the intuition and intelligence is currently impossible. I get your are optimistic, but currently you are basing your beliefs on hopium and not facts.

I’m not talking about hiring a company though, my point is that a company will need to maintains these bots just like modern cars. Are you assuming these will be open sourced or in a build your own PC kind of way? Because if that’s the case there is no logic in your belief these will ever exist let alone help old people.

I’m from the ghettos in my city too, not there anymore but penny pinching was definitely a thing growing up. It’s not the affordability I’m getting at, what I have issues with your logic of thinking these will be for everyone especially old people with fixed incomes or on government benefits.

Pricing models? You have a massive amount of existing hardware products with these business models already. Look a cars and phones. You really think robots will come with an all inclusive price?

You can however have robots make mistakes. i.e. accidentally set a fire while cooking. Forget to turn off the tap.

I’ve been through it as well, that’s why you hire good companies. Oh and if you have stuff that’s valuable, don’t keep it at your parents house then because you are letting strangers in.

What makes you think a robot would be cheaper than a human? Ever heard of subscription services?

Imagine this:

Need vacuuming ability? $5 a month.

Help you shower/clean yourself? $100 a month.

Mow the lawn? $20 a month.

I honestly think old people of all people would be the least likely to be willing to trust a robot with taking care of them.

Furthermore if these engineers have kids they’d also know how many ‘no’s’ you have to go through for an already intelligent being to learn something common-sense such as not climbing too high.

These bots are a long ways off in my opinion

I think they meant all robots, who says humanoid is the optimum form for work? Auto assembly plants and amazon warehouse robots do a ton of work better than humans (longer arms, wheels)

I remember friends’ in career class getting matched as Aerospace engineers back in the 2000s

Oddly enough the salary range is about the same as then…

You really can’t compare software and hardware businesses when it comes to funding…

One good hack and I’m sure they’ll be banned immediately, can’t hack a human driver as easily