What was Project X?
Google X, known as Everyday Robots, was launched in 2010. The idea behind it was that Google could solve some of the world's most complex problems.
The team was intentionally housed in a separate building a few miles cyprus phone number resource from the main campus—to develop its own culture and think outside the box. A lot of effort was put into encouraging the team to take big risks, experiment quickly, and even celebrate failure—as a sign that the team had set the bar extremely high.
When Brondmo joined the project, work was already underway on Waymo, Google Glass, and other sci-fi ideas (including airborne wind turbines and stratospheric satellites that would provide internet access to underserved areas).
What set X apart from Silicon Valley startups was how they encouraged employees to think big and long-term. The project had to follow a specific “formula”:
solve a problem that affects hundreds of millions or even billions of people;
use breakthrough technology that allows you to solve the problem in a new way;
to propose a radical solution for a business or product that may seem crazy (in the good sense of the word).
Why is it so difficult to create a body for artificial intelligence?
Project X was led by Astro Teller, and according to Brondmo, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting person for the role. Astro only appeared in the office on video, and his ponytail, friendly smile, and unusual name made him look like a character from HBO’s Silicon Valley.
Brondmo says, “When Astro and I first discussed what to do with the nine robot companies that Google had acquired, we decided that something had to be done. But what? At the time, most useful robots were big, stupid, and dangerous. They were used in factories and warehouses, and they often had to be tightly controlled or caged to protect people from them.
