Google aims to "complete the robot" by 2020, but the development organization seems to have a strange appearance

GoogleAcquired numerous robot companies to develop robotsIt has already been reported that there are about 10 companies that have acquired the company. Such Google announces commercial robots for general purpose to be the cornerstone of future robot development by 2020, but it seems that people who led the key development team suddenly left their position, as desired Business Insider reports that there are aspects that are not advanced.

What's going on with Google robotics - Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com/whats-going-on-with-google-robotics-2015-11

About 2013, Google announced that it has procured the acquisition of about 10 robot-related companies and established a new robotics division in the company. This department inside the company called "Replicant" was set up aiming to make consumer robots appear by 2020, but the current situation as of 2015 comes from the initial speculation It seems that there is a situation that things are not progressing as expected.

Replicant exists as an independent organization belonging to "Google's parent company" alphabet ". However, since Andy Rubin, who was the centerpiece of the organization in 2014, resigned from his position, he was absent from the leader and he was ahead of Rubin himself's "consumer products that can interact with the physical world" The condition that it can not find how to attain the goal of making goal is continuing.


Rubin responded to Business Insider's question by leaving a replicant that at the point of leaving the replicant, "The strategy has already been decided", a comment that the way to go has been returned has returned, but in reality each robot company falls apart I say that it is in a situation where I can say. One member belonging to the replicant says, "Although the individual technologies of individual robot companies are wonderful, it is necessary to clearly define the direction to go and the points to concentrate and commit more than anything else," I am talking about the situations in which we are located.

In response to Mr. Rubin 's replicant, Google has been promoting the selection of leaders to inherit Mr. Rubin, but the work of finding a person with a rich robot related knowledge and a sharp business sense is quite It seems that difficulty is accompanied.

◆ Rubin launched "Replicant"
The existence of the replicant and the difficult situation that is put on now are both closely related to Mr. Rubin 's existence. In 2005, Mr. Rubin joined Google with the acquisition of the company "Android" that he was leading, and since then he has been involved in the business as a central figure in the Android smartphone business that is spread all over the world.

Mr. Rubin, who announced his withdrawal from the Android team in December 2013, will be entrusted to Google's new robotics department with the intention of Google's Larry Page. Mr. Paige is known for being interested in robots and he sometimes chose a robot arm as a gift to hand to participants at his birthday parties. It was said that it showed the direction of robot development that should be advanced by Google, but it seems that the department's management has been virtually left unchanged by Mr. Rubin.


In managing the robot department, Mr. Rubin promotes the acquisition of a number of companies. Among them are Japanese robot development companies "SCHAFT(Shaft) "known for the development of a four-legged robot"Boston Dynamics(Boston · Dynamics) "was included. In an e-mail that Rubin told the team, Mr. Rubin set the goal "to develop and release robot technology for general consumers by 2020".


◆ Rubin's sudden resignation and the remaining team
However, in October 2014, Mr. Rubin left the replicant and started up the hardware startup himself launchedIncubatorAn announcement to focus on business as a company (entrepreneur supporter). Page CEO kept favorable comments on this withdrawal, but within the replicant it caused great confusion.

Mr. Kuffner was a cloud-based humanoid robot expert, although Mr. James Kahner, who was one of the founder of Replicant, succeeded Mr. Rubin, but Mr. Rubin He said he did not have experience of development.


In addition, each company that Mr. Rubin promoted the acquisition also gets confused. Considering the circumstances of participating in the replicant in agreement with the vision that Mr. Rubin indicated, the confusion that occurred can be said as a matter of course, and one member said that "This division has suffered great damage" and the magnitude of the impact I will talk. Mr. Rubin says Rubin's leaving play "probably was a big surprise" for the company he bought.

Mr. Rubin said that in the replicant that left Mr. Rubin, the absence of enough talent to keep each company together. Mr. Rubin showed the goal he was aiming for, but the team continued to be unable to find a roadmap leading up there or a leader leading the whole.

Mr. Kaafner has led the organization for a while, but resigned in early 2015. After that, Mr. Jonathan Rosenberg of Google will take over his responsibility. Mr. Rosenberg, who is a Google old storyteller, led Motorola, which Google had acquired and was a person who put together a book on management of Mr. Eric Schmidt who was the then president of Google, but it also brings together the replicants He did not reach, he soon resigned. It is said that Google is pursuing selection after that, but setting up a person to replace Mr. Rubin is a state of work with considerable difficulty. The person who was in a high position at Google affirms that he does not want to do "absolutely about the position to put together the replicant.

◆ Robot development that can be continued and future prospects
Nevertheless, robot development continues. About that difficulty Business Insider says "If the computer is" the most complicated thing developed by mankind ", the robot is more complicated than that", and it is extremely precise in both software and hardware I am talking about technology being a required field.

Google has repeated a number of experiments, and it is said that the development of a robot that aids human beings at the sites where manufacturing is severe, in the home, at the logistics site, etc. are underway. According to the people inside the team, Google seems to be gradually beginning to shape the development outcomes gradually.


Also, the influence that Google has given to the robot industry is not small anyhow. Because it takes time to develop robot technology, it can be said that it is a field that can not be easily handled by companies seeking short-term outcome by any means. However, the internal stakeholders said that Google had the effect of revitalizing the industry as a whole by exploiting the rake and developing the field of robot development.

However, it can be said that it is a way to proceed from here on to say that it is a true mindset. Former staff who once belonged to Boston Dynamics said: "Alphabet at the top of the replicant can not produce satisfactory results in monetizing the robot business, and when the company that belongs begins to slump, a bad message to the market I'd like to send it. I hope that things go well. "I comment with an uneasy appearance.