Tau Robotics has begun offering a humanoid robot cleaning service to a limited number of clients in San Francisco, charging $30 an hour, company CEO and co-founder Alex Koch announced recently. The initiative aims to provide increased access to home cleaning services through the use of robotics and artificial intelligence technology.

Currently, the robots are not fully autonomous; they require human operators to control their movements remotely, with artificial intelligence assisting in task execution. Videos released by Tau Robotics demonstrate the machines performing chores such as wiping down counters and tables, vacuuming floors, taking out trash, and clearing clutter. One clip even shows a robot exiting a minivan before starting a cleaning shift.

Koch expressed confidence in the robots' capabilities, stating that tasks like vacuuming and basic countertop cleaning are already functioning effectively. The company envisions gradually expanding the service to a broader customer base in the future.

However, skepticism remains among experts in the robotics field. Ken Goldberg, an engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley, with four decades of experience, voiced doubts about the robots' current effectiveness for household cleaning. He pointed to ongoing challenges in robotics related to object manipulation and thorough cleaning of varied surfaces, noting that such tasks remain highly complex.

Goldberg also raised questions about the authenticity of Tau Robotics’ promotional videos, suggesting that they may have been edited, staged with human assistance, or filmed under carefully controlled conditions not representative of typical home environments.

Despite these reservations, Tau Robotics continues to develop its technology and tests the robots’ performance in real-world settings, aiming to refine their capabilities and increase their practical utility in domestic cleaning.