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doodlebuggingtoday at 7:24 PM0 repliesview on HN

Quick observations about website. First visited under LibreWolf in a container window. I know privacy/security settings are maxed in this FF clone browser. This is what I could see:

First panel loaded and Nori moved in the demo window. Then I scrolled down to the Everyday Tasks pane. On first visit, this pane took a long time to load. Once it loaded though it did walk through the repeating demo videos. Scrolling down to the "Teach Nori to support you in every way" panel where none of the content loaded. It displayed three black panes with zero content. Continued scrolling down to the "Skills Marketplace" panel and again, nothing in that panel loaded or played. Scrolled down another page to a black panel with no content. The first time I visited, this section did load revealing the eyes widening and gripper extending to take on a new task. Scrolling down more there is a set of attributes in the "Affordable and Capable" panel. Each of the attributes loaded correctly AFAIK. Scrolling to the final panel "Based in the USA" where you can click through to Order, that panel loaded with no apparent issues.

I repeated this using the current incantation of FF and each panel loaded quickly including the "Teach Nori..." and the "Skills Marketplace" so I was able to see what all that was about.

Now to the robot.

First impression is that this is an indoor-only model based on the configuration of the wheels and the lack of weatherization of the joints with wire harness poking out where it can hang on nearby branches, etc. so you need an open environment. Circuit boards in the video shorts show exposed electronics, probably the camera that assists the grabbers in object ID. That probably is not good. The heat-shrink harness on the back that flexes as it extends looks like another way to pull the robot over so I'm thinking this thing won't navigate furniture that has features extending far enough from the unit to enable passing people or robots to become hung.

The video short of the Nori clearing the table is interesting. The specs for the arms indicate a 1.5 kg capacity (3.3#). I looked up the weight of a standard plastic kitchen trash can and they seem to be about 0.45 kg (1#). I see Nori loading light items into the can and that raises a question - Does Nori know when the can is too heavy for it to lift? Does Nori have sensors or will the object detection allow it to track the probable weight of objects in the can so that it doesn't overfill and dump the can contents on the floor? Will Nori understand that some operations require use of both arms? Since Nori is an inside robot, who gets to tote that trash bag to the curb? Can Nori be trained to chunk that bag using the sensor packages - Lidar, etc to estimate range and the knowledge of the bag weight so that the optimum launch point is achievable using all those 7+1 degrees of freedom? That would be cool.

Can Nori be trained to say "This is your last one!" when fetching your Heineken? Can Nori compress to the point where it can pick up that drink tray beside that coffee table? I understand it can extend to 55" but can the grabbers reach and manipulate items on the floor, like petting a cat for instance?

In the demo videos of Nori pouring a liquid from an oat fluid container how many times did you need to adjust the level of oat fluid before Nori could execute that pour without spilling? Is Nori able to gauge the level of fluid in a container or the level of dry substance like that granola so that Nori understands the tip and spill points so that messes are minimized?

In the Teach Nori... section I can Nori being useful for managing 3D printers since the fumes in there have to be apparent and if Nori can be taught to manage printer operations that is one environmental exposure that I won't have. I worry in the clip with the paintbrush that Nori can't stir rapidly enough to clean anything from a brush. I noticed during the clip of Nori opening the 3D printer door that the other arm was shaking. Is that cross-feed on the internal controls or does Nori come with palsy?

Does Nori understand that it is not necessary to put clean pans into the dishwasher? What is the maximum reach if Nori were expected to put the dishes away inside cabinets?

In the Skills Marketplace I see multiple skills available. The most useful one though appears to be to pour a drink. Is there a reason why Nori owners would need a drink after the purchase?

I thought the next panel with Nori's eyes widening was funny. It suggest a "You want me to do what?" situation or a "My Gosh, I've never seen anything like that! Gimme some!" Too many memes I think have passed my eyeballs, never to be unseen.

Does Nori respond to voice commands such as "Nori, go to your charger. You're looking tired." or "Step aside and let a real man handle this."

The last hing that I would like to mention is that whoever lives in the home with that fireplace should control those cables around the fireplace a little better. That looks really untidy and based on the motion in the TV screen it appears that that short video was sped up for this display, or the person moving in the background has trouble staying still because you can see their chair in the fireplace screen whipping back and forth.

All things considered, I am likely not a customer, not because it is not useful but because I see that everything that I currently have in my own home would become an obstacle for this robot and if it has a learning mode where it uses mics like Amazon and Google devices do, it would learn lots of expletives and likely employ them at all the wrong opportunities.

I also wonder how well it handles flooring transitions in doorways crossing thresholds. How does it manage vertical stability?

Good luck.