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I hired a humanoid robot to help clean my home. An auntie did most of the chores

From The Straits Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • A new cleaning service in China uses humanoid robots and human partners to perform household chores.
  • The service, tested by a journalist in Shenzhen, showed that robots currently assist humans with simple tasks but require significant human intervention.
  • Companies are developing humanoid robots to address China's aging workforce and declining birth rates, aiming for future domestic help.

A journalist in Shenzhen tested a new cleaning service that pairs a humanoid robot with a human housekeeper, revealing the current limitations of domestic robotics. The service, launched in China in March, aims to bring robots into homes to improve their real-world utility as the country faces an aging population and falling birth rates.

The cleaning is mainly still done by human hands.

— The engineerExplaining the current limitations of the robot during a cleaning service test.

The three-hour cleaning session, costing 149 yuan (S$28), involved the Quanta X1 Pro robot and a housekeeper named Aunty Tan. The 1.6-meter-tall robot, equipped with two mechanical arms and a wheeled base, performed basic tasks like straightening chairs and putting shoes away. However, its performance was slow and often required human assistance. The robot struggled with folding laundry, dropping items multiple times, and took nearly nine minutes to fold a pair of pants. It also misidentified trash and made two trips to the bin for different items.

For now, the 1.6m-tall robot fitted on a wheeled base with two mechanical arms would only perform simple tasks and operate in my living area.

— The engineerDescribing the robot's capabilities during the demonstration.

When tasked with wiping a dining table, the robot made wiping motions but ignored a spray bottle, deeming it an obstruction. It also left breadcrumbs on the table. The engineer accompanying the robot had to intervene when Quanta failed to remove a full garbage bag and got stuck at a raised threshold. He also had to fix a loose wire on the robot's arm and troubleshoot its internet connection. While the robot performed a few tasks autonomously, its slow pace was notable.

It works mostly autonomously, I was told, but would need help if it got stumped or stuck.

— The journalistObserving the robot's operation and its need for human intervention.

The trial highlighted that while humanoid robots are being developed for domestic help, they currently function more as assistants to human workers rather than replacements. The service's reliance on human partners underscores the gap between the ambition of robotic domestic help and the practical realities of current technology.

The robot’s last chore was to remove the used garbage bag from the trash can. It did not succeed: the bag was probably too full and got stuck, surmised the engineer, who finished the job himself.

— The journalistDetailing the robot's failure to complete a basic task.
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Originally published by The Straits Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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