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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."

16 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. Let me be the first to say... by metlin · · 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 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.

      --

      Life is the leading cause of death in America.
    2. Re:Let me be the first to say... by stecoop · · 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?

  2. Time to get by beacher · · Score: 5, Funny

    ROBOT INSURANCE!!!!! Because robots have steel claws and they eat old peoples medicine for food!

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

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

    --
    "Backups are for wimps. Real men upload their data to an FTP site and have everyone else mirror it." -- Linus Torvalds
    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.

      --
      tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
  4. 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.)

    --
    Underholdning.info
  5. perspective pleeze by lottameez · · Score: 4, Interesting

    From the article: "robots will ...carry out surgery..."

    And you people are worried about e-voting? How about e-i-just-lost-my-ear-lobe-due-to-a-software-glitch -in-the-dr.-kildare-robot?

    --
    Yeah? Well I think you're overrated too.
  6. 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?

    --
    When you lose something irreplaceable, you don't mourn for the thing you lost, you mourn for yourself. - Harpo Marx
    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".

      --
      -This sig intentionally left blank
  7. alternative article on UN report...with more links by museumpeace · · Score: 4, Interesting

    2004.10.20: UN predicts much wider use of robots
    An Associated Press report [via yahoo] of United Nations Study on robots is predicting robust increases in the use of robots both for both domestic and industrial uses. If you googled for this news you would find similar reports each year going back a ways. Here is the PDF straight from the UN. What makes this news is that its the UN talking, not some manufacturer's press release and that the numbers are more sanguine than ever:
    "There are now some 21,000 "service robots" in use, carrying out tasks such as milking cows, handling toxic waste, ferrying medicine around hospitals and assisting surgeons. The number is set to reach a total of 75,000 by 2007, the study says."
    But is there a job in this "boom" for any of us?

    For comparison here is last year's report, tidied up by your favorite submitter, Roland Click-appeal [hey, at least he RTFA!].
    --
    SLASHDOT: news for people who can't concentrate on work or have no life at all and got tired of yelling back at the TV.
  8. what will the kiddies do then? by Anonymous Coward · · 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 · · 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!"

  9. Robot, it ain't what you think it is by (SM)+Spacemonkey · · Score: 4, Interesting

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot
    At first this may seem a pointless karma whore link to wikipedia, but I have a point.

    When you talk to the average person about Robots, they think of that terrible Robin Williams movie, or more recently I,Robot (the movie, not the terrific book). The point is, the term "robot" conjures up thoughts of artifical humans. However the strick definition of a robot is a machine automated to perform tasks in the place of humans. This is why I get disappointed reading articles like this, I go in with the anticipation of every geek. "Sex robots by 2007!" Ok maybe female geeks want cuddle robots... Anyway instead we get stuck with.... lawn mowers, and pretend dogs?

  10. Robots for autistic childeren by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Saw a bit on tv about robots designed to deal with autistic childeren. These kids find human interaction far to complex to the point where they just give up and stay in their own world.

    What they need is something to play with them but in an extremely simple ruleset. They don't understand lies and half-lies let alone jokes. Human caretakers can't descend that low (we are talking well below the social skills of even a pet) but robots can. They can be programmed with a very simple ruleset of play and repeat this over and over again.

    So for these kids at least the future of robotic playmates is now. They don't need massive advances in AI, the exact opposite infact. The total predictabilty of current AI is exactly what they need.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  11. As a disabled person myself by pair-a-noyd · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I would like to have some of the auto-cleaning robots, like the roomba
    and the Robomaid

    to help me out around the house. It's almost impossible for me to do housework. Having a large dog makes housework even harder, what with the hair problem. I can not sweep, vacuum, mop, etc..

    I think they should classify these devices as assistance devices for disabled/handicapped people because I can't afford them as I'm sure many other disabled/handicapped are on very tight budgets like myself. It would be nice to get them covered like scooters and wheelchairs are..

    I won't be holding my breath though..