People have mixed feelings about robots becoming a household staple.
Some have high hopes about the democratization of robots, as one of the primary things it does is to make our lives easier.
Others aren’t so hopeful. As robots become present in our daily lives, people are apprehensive that the world will just become one big episode of Black Mirror.
However, we’d like to think robots taking over human jobs are just another form of the industrial revolution, albeit more advanced.
Just as the first industrial revolution rendered some jobs obsolete, but also created new ones. Robots take over other jobs, but this will also mean, it will require more jobs that control their functions.
If we examine more positively, robot invention will take the mundane tasks out of our time and let us enjoy life more.
Today, we will see why we need robots in our lives and why you should consider adopting one yourself.
Sensors, actuators, and AI power up robots. Sensors enable self-driving cars to navigate the road without bumping other vehicles. Actuators determine the movement of these robots. And most important, artificial intelligence makes robots learn on their own.
These three technologies render robots useful in many areas.
Aido, if you need a personal assistant
Aido is a social family robot, like an additional family member, that moves around the home.
It has so many features that include patrolling around to keep your home secure.
Aido also has sensors to regulate the temperature, humidity, and ambient light in the home. It also checks the air quality and noise level.
It keeps track of your schedule and reminds you at a set time so you can make sure you don’t miss any appointment.
Aido stores family information so it can recognize each family member and interacts with them in a more personalized way.
iPal, for busy parents who need a Robot Babysitter
For busy parents out there, you might want to buy a $1000, robot babysitter.
Parents in China have already started buying robots for babysitting duties.
The iPal robot babysitter cracks jokes, give math lessons, keeps your baby company as you go out to work.
Through the smartphone app that comes with this robot, parents can monitor their child and even talk to them through the screen.
It interacts like a four-year-old child so that your kid thinks of them as playmates rather than as an adult babysitter.
Roomba, if you want your house cleaned by a bot
There are already so many robot vacuum cleaners sold in the market today.
The most famous and the most expensive is the iRobot Roomba S9+ sold at $1399.
It is the first flat-fronted, D-shaped design available in the market.
The Roomba S9+ has a smart mapping technology where after roaming around your house a couple of times, it can create a map for a more accurate deep cleaning.
They also equip Roomba with a 3D sensor so it has a more accurate wall detection, and can clean the edges of your house.
Plus, it empties itself after every clean so you won’t have to.
Flippy, your own Kitchen Assistant
At first, you would think a robot kitchen assistant functions like a personal assistant that tells you which ingredient to mix, and what to put in order as you cook.
But no. Flippy, the kitchen assistant, does exactly what its name implies. It flips hamburgers relatively easy.
It’s designed to work in a kitchen environment in a robotic arm structure attached to a cart on wheels.
Flippy has an artificial intelligence system and a 3D sensor that detects where the bun is and place the patty on top of it.
Flippy serves as a frying assistant. It’s not meant to replace an employee to make burgers. And right now, it can only flip burgers.
But imagine a future where robot cooks make dinner for us in less than an hour after saying we’re hungry.
Kiki, if you want to adopt a pet
If you’ve been dreaming to adopt a pet but are having second thoughts about how you will take care of it, you might just need a robotic pet like Kiki.
They sell Kiki at $1499. It is one example of a mechanical animal that acts as your robot companion.
Just like a household pet, it will grow differently based on how you raise it (or how you treat it during infancy).
If you show love and affection in the first few weeks, it will grow into an affectionate pet. But if not, it might have a cat-like attitude.
It can recognize facial expressions and vocal tones. It also has a memory to create profiles of friends and strangers just like a pet. However, Kiki will need your help as the owner to recognize new faces. It will also need to be fed with virtual food.
Unlike a pet that roams around your floor, Kiki is built as a desktop robot. It can rotate its head and torso but can’t follow you around as it has no wheels like other robots.
These robots, while they run on a human-like technology, all make life easier and even act as entertainments for their human owners.