Michael Rand
Currently CoFounder of Homecient and Home and Robot magazine. Previously Founder/CoFounder of Future Networks, Aretta Communications, SIP.US, SIPTrunk.com, Telvero telecommunications companies. Interests lie in communications, home automation, autonomous control systems, robotics, SCUBA diving, and fast cars. Currently focusing on creation and evaluation of cutting edge technology for use in all forms of robotics. Education: BEE and MSEE Georgia Institute of Technology
18 articles
We often assume robots see the world the way we do, through a pair of high-definition biological lenses. The reality is much stranger.
A robot sees stair and experiences a software-level existential crisis. This is the unfortunate reality of the modern home: it was built for knees, not treads.
This article examines the specific hardware and logic that allow a machine to look at a sock and decide whether to vacuum it, avoid it, or ask for help.
Discover the "invisible eyes" that prevent your robots from becoming a pile of floor-scrapings from falling over.
Modern home robots depend on WiFi for command and awareness: navigation updates, task confirmation, status streaming to an app. Cut the WiFi and they're lost.
It can be sad to witness the architectural indignity: a thousand-dollar robot, a marvel of silicon and sensors, currently vibrating pathetically against the leg...
To confidently bring a robot into the sanctuary of the home, it needs to avoid breaking our household items.
Examines the mechanical and digital process that allows a robot to read the room, and make decisions like if it sees a shoe or a "pet accident".
Cleaning is a fundamental chore, yet it remains one of the most mechanically complex tasks we assign to machines.
Learn how robot vacuums, mowers, and smart systems are creating affordable household staff for regular families.
Explore how you robot communicates to become a reliable member of your household responsive to the home’s overall flow of life.