The New York Times has reported that Android founder Andy Rubin will indeed be pursuing his lifelong love of robots. Since leaving the mobile operating system behind, rumours have suggested that Rubin would spend his time working on actual androids.
It has been revealed, apparently by Rubin himself, that Google has purchased seven robot companies which will be part of a new secretive robotics initiative, with Rubin at the head of it.
Although not many details have surfaced yet, this robot group will be seperate from the Google X lab, which is know for its more unusual projects such as balloon-powered internet. But Rubin has said that the new division will still be pursuing a “moonshot” of that ilk.
So far it is not known what sort of robots will be built but looking at the seven companies that have been bought up, some of them were involved with producing humanoid robots and robotic arms. Reports seem to suggest that rather than being sold to consumers, Google robots will be likely used in manufacturing, more specifically in electronics assembly.
This would certainly follow in the direction that the tech industry has been moving toward. China’s Foxconn, which produces Apple products, began to use robots instead of humans in production last year.
Whatever direction this new division does take, this must be a dream come true for Rubin, who began as a robot engineer for the company Carl Zeiss. Although he then began developing computers for a day job, he always kept his hobby of robotics. Even the Android operating system’s name came about because of his love for robotics.
He told the New York Times:”I have a history of making my hobbies into a career. This is the world’s greatest job. Being an engineer and a tinkerer, you start thinking about what you would want to build for yourself.”
[Images via techbeat]
SOURCE: http://techbeat.com/2013/12/androids-andy-rubin-shares-googles-secret-robot-plan/
