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Study Says 4.1M Domestic Robots In Use By 2007

Posted by samzenpus on 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."

8 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. Yup by Xpilot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just like how they predicted everyone would using flying cars in the 21st century. Yawn.

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    1. Re:Yup by Short+Circuit · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But how many years ahead were the predictions? This study says three years. Weren't flying cars predicted for fifty?

      In terms of maturity, the technology behind household robots is a lot closer to producing affordable units than that behind flying cars.

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    2. Re:Yup by Firethorn · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, you take the expansion of the definition of "robot" to mean any microprocessor controlled mobile mechanical device. If you look at many of these "robots", you find that they're more wonders of doing more with less than intelligent or complex programmed behavior. The robo-vac? Psedeu-random movement with a cliff & bump sensor. It runs over a room enough to be statistically unlikely to miss a spot, but it does it at a cost of covering most spots multiple times.

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  2. Another type of robots by Underholdning · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They forgot sex robots. Add a bit of movement and AI to a RealDoll and you will have a bestseller.
    (I'm only partially kidding.)

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  3. Yeah, right by Tyndmyr · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I love these drastic studies... Sure, it might make sense for people to do that, but since when has the general population had more than two brain cells in use at a time?

    I predict painfully slow progress in robotics, and a vast increase in tech support when they first become prevailent.

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  4. What is a robot? by Laur · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What exactly is the definition of a robot here? Why is a machine that washes your dishes an "appliance" while a machine that mows your lawn is a "robot"? How about washers/dryers (some even have advanced computer control)? What if you put a sophisticated computer in a toaster or a fridge? Where is the line drawn?

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    1. Re:What is a robot? by BrK · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think it is considered a robot if it can move from Point A to Point B under it's own power and logic control ("logic" might just be recalling a pre-programmed pattern from a storage device, etc). Or also, if it stays in place, but can manipulate other objects about.

      An appliance can have a large degree of intelligence, but is generally an object that does not move about after installation.

      Ie: a dishwasher that plays chess on a screen is an "appliance". A dishwasher that plays chess by actually moving the pieces about on the board (via articulated arms, etc) is a "robot".

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  5. Re:Let me be the first to say... by swordboy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not so fast - read closer:

    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.

    Hmmm... multiply, carry the one... There it is... in 2007, there will be a grand total of SEVEN household robots.

    Nothing times a billion is still nothing. I would hardly call it a surge.

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