Humanoid Robots Offer Cleaning Services in San Francisco Pilot, But Still Need Human Hands

A San Francisco company, Tau Robotics, is testing the waters of domestic robot assistance, offering humanoid robots for household cleaning at $30 per hour. The pilot program, initially available to 1,000 households, features robots named Chelsea and Elon, clad in company uniforms, performing tasks such as vacuuming, wiping kitchen counters, and taking out the trash. Each robot represents a significant investment, costing $50,000 to manufacture.

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Initially, they will be trained to imitate human performance, and then they will be trained to exceed human performance.

Tau Robotics trains its AI-powered bots to first imitate, and then surpass, human performance in domestic chores. However, the current reality falls short of full autonomy. The robots rely heavily on remote human technicians, who use VR goggles to see through the robots' eyes and intervene when tasks become too complex, like navigating stairs or identifying where to vacuum. "Tau's robot cannot do everything on its own," acknowledged CEO Alexander Koch, emphasizing the current level of human direction.

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They look quite nimble, but they are actually quite heavy.

Despite the company's ambitions to scale up services and expand internationally by 2028, industry experts remain cautious. Ken Goldberg, a robotics professor at UC Berkeley, points out that even with remote assistance, humanoid robots are still relatively clumsy and heavy. He warns of potential safety risks, such as robots falling and causing injury, or their grippers accidentally pinching humans. Tau Robotics maintains a fleet of technicians to monitor the robots and ensure safety, with a shutdown mode that causes the robot to lie down if an issue arises.

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You wouldn't want this thing anywhere near a child or a baby.

While companies like Tau Robotics and IX Technologies are pushing the boundaries, the widespread and reliable use of humanoid robots for everyday household tasks is likely still a decade away, according to experts. The current technology, while impressive, requires significant human oversight and presents safety considerations that need to be addressed before these machines can truly take over chores independently.

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Tau's robot cannot do everything on its own.