Is There a Robot in Your Future?

"Don't ask what your robot can do for you, ask when you can do your robot."

Define robot.

A killer app for me would be rapid prototyping, although this does not fit most people's concept of "robot", even though the process has all the ingredients necessary for your normal robotic functions. Then there was the self-building high-rise I saw back in the late '80's in Tokyo- now, THAT was a robot...

They actually built a prototype in 1993 at Sony Labs - based on the idea of a domestic robot for picking up, washing up, and general house work. When the bot was activated in what the Japanese considered a good sample of average American homes, the response was the same... Each robot stated "F#%K THAT S*$T," and immediately self-destructed.

PS: Please give generously to you local Rumba Mental Rehabilitation Society, today.

I would like a robot that would act from my thoughts. Like with the use of this product: http://www.emotiv.com/epoc-demo3.html Hmmm, I am thinking a beer, chips, and a sporting event. ;)

I myself foresee greater application of machines such as the HAL exoskeleton for Material Handling. In the strict sense of the word these machines are more "robotic" than pure robots I suppose, but I see them filling the gap between forklifts, and forked boom trucks.

The robotic vacuum is one machine that I expect will become more and more common.

The RoboMower, Robotic Lawnmower will also become more common.

I'd pretty much say that inside the home the robotic vacuum cleaner is the "killer app" already.

Something like the HAL exoskeleton may well have important applications for invalid care in the home, or even hospitals when heavy patients need to be moved.

As far as a robot such as Rosie of The Jetsons, I expect that to be a good ways off.

the fictious charector of a robot that resembles a human in si-fi areas was created giving human attributes to robots or it can even be said as "metal humans". Such a charector to be brought into real life would require extensive research in bio-medical field and much more insight into human functions to be able to implement it into robots. coz we already have the metal body ready!. We'd just need the algorithms of human brain and sensors that rival human senses.