Study Says 4.1M Domestic Robots In Use By 2007

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Study Says 4.1M Domestic Robots In Use By 2007

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday October 21, 2004 @12:00AM from the let-the-machine-do-it dept.

jangobongo writes "The U.N.'s annual World Robotics Survey for 2004 predicts that there will be a seven-fold surge in household robots by the end of 2007. Robots that mow your lawn, vacuum, wash windows, clean swimming pools, as well as entertainment robots such as Aibo are all vying to take a place in our homes and ease our workload. The study says that Japan is the leader in consumer robotics, with Europe and North America quickly catching up."

11 of 218 comments (clear)

Let me be the first to say... by metlin · 2004-10-21 00:01 · Score: 5, Funny

I, for one, welcome our new lawn mowing window washing swim suit wearing robotic over...err...dogs?
1. Re:Let me be the first to say... by stecoop · 2004-10-21 01:18 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Nothing times a billion is still nothing
  
  This is true for regular algebra but in calculus there are formulas where even though the regular math proves 0*n = 0; studying points as they approach really close to the numbers will show that sometimes will not be zero. Like sin(x)/x as x -> 0 should be Undefined right? Well as you study the limits on both sides of 0 to infinite "closeness" you'll see that the formula actually equates to 1. Therefore if you had sin(x)/x as x -> 0 * billion it would equal a billion. Weird huh?
Time to get by beacher · 2004-10-21 00:02 · Score: 5, Funny

ROBOT INSURANCE!!!!! Because robots have steel claws and they eat old peoples medicine for food!
what will the kiddies do then? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-21 00:10 · Score: 5, Funny

Robots that mow your lawn, vacuum, wash windows, clean swimming pools
I thought this was why people had kids.
1. Re:what will the kiddies do then? by catherder_finleyd · 2004-10-21 00:27 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  The kids will still have jobs programming the robots:
  
  "Hey Son, How do you program this thing? It's still flashing 12:00!"
Satanic Robot Chicks Again by zenmojodaddy · 2004-10-21 00:13 · Score: 3, Funny

I may have mentioned this before, but Anton LaVey suggested that the next big industry will be the production of robotic companions, because they can be programmed to provide the exact type of stimulation or gratification that the user requires, thus avoiding the need to interact with real people who are imperfect at best.

Natch, the Slashdot model will look like Princess Leia, know how to handle a soldering iron, and talk about how great Linux is. Or something...

There may also be an easily-repairable Wesley Crusher model for those 'GNYAR!' moments. Or Jar Jar Binks. Or that ultimate nightmare, Jar Jar Crusher.
four million robotses... by gomel · 2004-10-21 00:19 · Score: 3, Funny

... and none have the three Laws of Robotniks programmed in.
I smell trouble.

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Re:Another type of robots by MikeDX · 2004-10-21 00:23 · Score: 3, Funny

I'm not. I for one welcome our Artificially inteligent Latex overl. erm... ladies?
Re:What is a robot? by Hittite+Creosote · 2004-10-21 00:27 · Score: 3, Funny

When the machine that washes the dirty dishes comes and collects them from the table first, then you can call it a robot.
Re:Yup by fleener · 2004-10-21 00:42 · Score: 3, Funny

Don't blame us if you haven't bought your own flying car yet. Cheap bastard.
Re:maybe it's just me by DLR · 2004-10-21 01:06 · Score: 3, Funny

Buy a goat?

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