Tau Robotics launches humanoid robot cleaning service in San Francisco
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Tau Robotics has launched a humanoid robot home cleaning service in San Francisco. The robots are currently still remotely controlled by humans, with operators observing the scene through cameras mounted on the robot's head and wrists. Tau co-founder Cornelia Weinzierl says the robot can already complete vacuuming and mopping without human intervention. During the reporter's trial, the robot was able to wipe countertops, fold clothes, and clean toilets, but it wobbled and got stuck multiple times while climbing stairs. Pricing has changed from the 30 USD per hour for a single robot at the time of booking to 60 USD per week for two robots or 100 USD for a single visit.
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- MIT Technology Review · AII watched a humanoid robot clean my apartment. It felt like a taste of the future.
A reporter signed up for Tau Robotics' humanoid-robot cleaning service in San Francisco, where the four-and-a-half-foot robots are currently piloted remotely by humans who watch via cameras in the robots' heads and wrists, collecting training data for future autonomy. The first visit ended early when heat disabled the human controller's equipment, but a second cleaning went more smoothly, with the robot handling the kitchen and toilet despite mishaps like leaving taps dripping and toppling an air purifier. Tau cofounder Cornelia Weinzierl says the robots can already vacuum and mop without human help, and the company has completed only a couple hundred cleanings so far.
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