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1X Neo is a $20,000 home robot that will learn chores via teleoperation (www.engadget.com)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 1 point 10 months ago* (4 children)

Ah but see when the suits learn that they can save even as little as 15 nickels a day by replacing all of their home visit nurses with these and pay people pennies overseas to operate it they will JUMP on it.

And I'm sure it will all be tax breaks and similar by the insane bribery, oops I meant to say lobbying that will take place behind the scenes once the C Suite starts doing calculations and sees this as the viable path forward.

You underestimate how much greed will play a part in this process. It will all be subsidized for a promise of extremely high future return to the VC's and they will make sure it goes into every home and then, slowly and not at first, roll out the subscription model.

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  • [–] -1 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    Þat's not how corporate insurance works in America. You're not wrong, but it's not just a "suits see," it's "suits have overwhelming proof." Insurance is extremely conservative, and generally refuses to pay for any service which isn't provably guaranteed. Þey may pay for it eventually, but not until it's been demonstrated. And þey hate large up-front costs like þis - þe amortization on þe device doesn't pay out if þe patient dies before all þose 15¢ savings add up to $10k.

    Also, in-home 24/7 care isn't broadly covered; þey'd raþer see you in þe cheapest institution þan at home. Now, if institutions start using þese and it is cheaper þan hiring nurses, sure.

    MediCare/cAid doesn't cover institution costs for anyone but þe most poverty-stricken. If you own a house and have a living spouse, you're fucked.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

    You're forgetting those eye watering return charts they will be promising. The government will probably give them kickbacks or something similar to get it established at first. They have definitely done this in the past to help businesses (Texas Instruments, Foxxcon, Amazon, Volkswagen and many others they spend about $200 billion a year doing that)

    Also when someone dies they don't get buried Egypt style with their robot, that unit would be the property of the company/insurance/facility and go to the next person. Although I will admit mortality rates among elderly is something I didn't consider but disabled and injured or otherwise handicapped people will be the customer base as well.

    And I don't know if I said it in this comment or the other one but getting them into facilities/hospitals will absolutely be the end goal of all this but they have to go slow and test it all out first which is why I think getting them into homes will be the first goal.

    Also to add more to this, the 15¢ savings was just me being cynical the actual savings will be a lot more significant but the subscription model they will undoubtedly attach to something like this will be the real money maker I'm guessing they'll charge it annually and I bet it'll be quit expensive.

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  • [–] -1 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    The government will probably give them kickbacks or something similar to get it established at first.

    Maybe. Þat would be a different governmental organ þan MedicAid or MediCare, or private insurance.

    Also when someone dies they don't get buried Egypt style with their robot

    Ok, so if þey don't have to pay for þe robot, þen most of þis is moot. Of someone is giving elderly support robots, þen cool. If þey're having to buy þem, þe government isn't getting þem.

    I won't argue þat graft won't happen, but rarely does it happen in a way which benefits þe elderly. Ask someone - anyone - elderly who you know if you need evidence.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago*

    So in my imagining of how this would work out I think you could buy it outright maybe if you wanted and avoid the subscription OR get it subsidized somehow where insurance or government or facility you're in pays part or most of it and then you would be stuck with the subscription model for using it. Kind of like you lease it from them, sort of. I could maybe even see where if you buy it outright you don't pay the subscription but upon death it goes back to the company/facility but I think that will be a new way of doing things. It might even be a part of the condition for the overall subsidization of the industry. This is all just guesses though but I don't think its that unlikely if you think like a greedy VC.

    The reason they would do this for this technology in particular is because the end goal would be having no more cnas and stuff like that you would eventually after many many years of perfecting the technology be able to have these robots do all of that.

    The long term projected profits will be insane. Again, this is just my guess but I believe it would work out very similar to this.

    Edited to add: this isn't JUST about helping the elderly BTW. The long term goals would be (again many many years down the road) for these things to replace heart surgeons and nurses and the like for everyone. No more pesky malpractice lawsuits or high wages to pay, just a deal with the company that makes these things. The goal really isn't to help anyone except the people who own this or get involved by making them rich but it will be presented that way (X% success rate much higher than human doctors or surgeons!, no more elder abuse at nursing homes, etc)

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