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August 15, 2003
I, Consumer Robot
It's becoming clear: we are on the cusp of the robotic revolution.
For decades, robots have captured the imagination in science fiction. Most people, however, rarely have the opportunity to interact with anything that even remotely resembles the typical definition of a robot. Most robot installations are industrial, such as welding and material handling robots. Very few consumer robots have existed at the level where a large percentage of the population were even aware of them. That, however, is changing...and changing quickly.
Over the past handful of years, consumer-oriented robots have become increasingly varied, affordable, and compelling. Take some of these recent examples:
Robo Mower -- just what it sounds like, an electric, self-guided lawn mower.
Roomba -- perhaps one of the more successful personal robots to date (no doubt due to its low price), this autonomous floor sweeper is finding its way into very typical US homes.
Aibo -- this robotic dog-like home companion from Sony gets increasingly sophisticated with every revision.
Robo-Doc -- not actually a robot, but this remote controlled device provides a vehicle for interaction between patients and physicians who aren't physically co-located.
Emotive robots -- researchers at MIT, among other places, are getting more skilled at enabling robots with human-like interaction capabilities.
There's even evidence that people are starting to think of robots on a personal level, a sure sign that consumer adoption is headed upwards. With most innovation coming from Japan, it will be interesting to watch how these human-centric devices continue to evolve.
Posted by Craig in Society / Politics