A robot that keeps it simple: Hello robot wants to reinvent how autonomous machines perform tasks at home

Ten years ago, a now-defunct Silicon Valley startup caused a sensation when it introduced the Personal Robot 2, or PR2. Researchers, in particular, loved the PR2 because it was versatile and easier to program than other robots. It allowed them to focus on their research rather than building a new system from scratch. The PR2 helped advance robotic sensing, navigation, and manipulation, but it wasn't perfect. It was big, heavy, and expensive: Each cost US $400,000.