Google is letting go of the robots that were deployed for cleaning its office cafeterias. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has shut down its experimental division, Everyday Robots, which was responsible for creating and training robots with multiple abilities, including cafeteria cleaning.
According to reports, the decision to halt the robotic program is attributed to Alphabet’s cost-cutting measures amid the widespread job cuts in the tech sector. Despite the progress made by the robots and their trainers, they were unable to withstand the economic downturn.
The Everyday Robots project was an experimental robotics initiative comprising a team of over 200 members who worked on various robotics projects, including the development of more than 100 wheeled, one-armed robots. The robots were designed to clean the cafeteria, segregate garbage and recyclables, and even open doors. During the pandemic, the robots were utilised to inspect conference rooms for cleanliness.
Despite their usefulness, the maintenance cost of the robots were reportedly too expensive.
The robotics experts predicted that each robot would cost tens of thousands of dollars, which Alphabet could not afford due to budget cuts. As a result, Everyday Robots was not financially viable, and the project was terminated. However, some of the project’s technology and a part of the team will be assimilated into Google Research’s existing robotics projects.
Earlier this year, Google’s parent company Alphabet dismissed almost 12,000 workers. Teams across the organisation, including recruiting, corporate operations, as well as technical and product teams, have been impacted by job losses at Alphabet. The company has pledged to provide affected individuals with six months of complimentary healthcare, employment services, and support with immigration.
