Robots won't do chores?

Humanoid robots are coming into our homes, but they probably won’t be doing your laundry anytime soon.In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier sits down with Jan Liphardt, founder & CEO of OpenMind and Stanford bioengineering professor, to unpack what home robots will actually do in the near future ... and why the “labor-free home” vision is mostly a myth (for now).Jan explains why hands are still one of the hardest unsolved problems in robotics, why folding laundry is far harder than it looks, and why the most valuable early use cases for home robots aren’t chores at all. Instead, we explore where robots are already delivering real value today:• Health companionship and fall detection for aging parents• Personalized education for kids, beyond screens• Home security that respects privacy• And why people form emotional bonds with robots faster than expectedWe also dive into OM1, OpenMind’s open-source, AI-native operating system for robots, and why openness, transparency, and configurability will matter deeply as robots move from factories into our living rooms.If you’re curious about the real future of humanoid robots — what’s hype, what’s possible today, and what’s coming next — this conversation is for you.🎙 GuestJan LiphardtFounder & CEO, OpenMindStanford Professor of BioengineeringWebsite: https://openmind.com⸻👉 Subscribe for more conversations on AI, robotics, and the future of technology:https://techfirst.substack.com⸻00:00 Intro: The promise of humanoid robots at home00:40 Meet Jan Liphardt and OpenMind’s OM101:12 Why your “labor droid” isn’t here yet01:41 The “hand problem” and what robots can realistically do now03:07 Why economics matters: $300/hour tasks vs. laundry and dishes04:19 Robot hands today: reliability, repairability, and washing hands05:16 LG’s laundry-folding demo and why fabric is still hard06:16 Hospitals and hygiene: why “robot hand-washing” is unsolved07:41 Hands as a separate system: compute, sensors, and integration08:31 Why wheeled humanoids exist: hands first, body second09:26 The real home use cases today: security, education, companionship10:08 Aging in place: fall detection and remote nurse escalation11:30 Real-world stories: parents living alone and why this matters11:54 Privacy tradeoffs: robots vs. always-on home cameras12:52 AIBO and why people get attached to mobile robots13:52 Self-charging and the “my mom won’t plug it in” problem14:21 Beyond falls: autism support and memory care15:27 The education use case: “do my homework” vs. teach me16:26 Personalized learning: what current classrooms miss17:51 Why robot teachers beat screens for younger kids18:46 Home security basics: unfamiliar face detection + alerts19:15 Adding sensors: smoke, fire, sound, and anomaly detection19:41 Quadrupeds vs. humanoids: cost, simplicity, and mobility20:01 Safety issue: pinch hazards and kids hugging robots20:46 What’s next for home labor robots21:43 Why OM1 must be open source: transparency and trust23:39 Why ROS 2 isn’t enough for human environments24:37 OM1 approach: LLM-centric “Lego blocks” for robot behavior25:43 Open-source humanoids for kids and why ownership matters27:41 What’s missing: simulation is the bottleneck28:11 Gazebo/Isaac Sim pain and the need for realistic sims29:57 Why voice + “digital humans” matter in simulation30:47 Tipping points: factories, warehouses, robotaxis, and humanoids35:46 Wrap-up and final thoughts