02 Nov The Ultimate A.I. Service: Robots to Serve Your Needs at Home

Forget chatbots, apps, and Siri-like talking smart devices; the age of the robots is upon us. And while it will still take a generation or two before they can walk and talk like Star Trek’s Data, some of them can vacuum our carpets, cook our meals, and wash our cars. Global mobility specialists  just might find those versions useful and appealing to their assignees, than possessing an android that can navigate star charts because he has the brain of an Einstein.

Flesh-and-blood butlers, chefs, gardeners, drivers, and nannies can be very expensive to maintain. That’s why only the affluent and the moneyed in America employ their services 24/7 or at least 7 hours a day. That’s also the reason why the western world has been diligent in producing efficient appliances that wash and dry our laundry or clean our plates. The science of robotics now has combined the two — and the more intrepid businessmen are bent on making them affordable to the average hard working man or woman. As one robotics firm puts it, the android toy they will be designing as your kid’s companion will be as within reach, price-wise, as the smartphone.

Startups purported to create the next smart round of robotics have raised $900 million in funding the past five years. That’s how fast investor interest is rising. One category, the Service Robots, has in its pipeline an entire branch of human-looking robots who can clean your fish tank, vacuum your floor, and whip up meals in your kitchen.

Some of these robotic helpers are already out in the market. These pioneers, however, do not look like your fantasy chef or neighborhood repairman. They appear like whirring, metallic boxes but they do get the job done.  Many of them cost no more than your average refrigerator or home entertainment complex.

The iRobot Roomba 650 appears to be a black orb in motion. It is actually a smart vacuum cleaner that can suck the dirt out of your floor while you are away from home. It detects the presence of dirt and immediately removes it. One trait that has been programmed into it is persistence. It will not stop until your home is free from dander, soil, and other impurities. The Roomba also recharges itself after performing its assignment.

Patin is the closest that you can have to a personal assistant. It’s a whirring, mobile jar-like platform that follows you around the house, carrying your stuff or doing the tasks you’ve assigned it. It can bring you your coffee maker or a flower pot you want to fix. If you are moving items from one part of the house to another, it functions like your extra two hands.

Laundroid is one of the most awaited robots that will launch early of next year. Don’t let its dresser-like appearance fool you. The Laundroid is actually perfect for workaholics who do not even have a single minute to pass by laundry services or turn on their laundry machine. It sorts out the dirty clothing you toss into it, identifying and segregating your shirts from the jeans worn by your teenage son. It then washes them, dries them, and even folds them before placing them in their proper pile.

If all these still sound like flights of fancy  to you, a trip to a smart home can be your first introduction to the advantages with which technology has wired the modern housing unit. California Corporate Housing has various living spaces that let you monitor your home security even though you are working in the office, or manage the temperature and lighting levels to ensure good health.  It has Amazon Echo devices that let you summon your favorite music, stock market reports, and audio book readings with a simple voice command.

The future envisioned by many science-fiction gurus is here. It spells heightened convenience fueled by a sense of wonder for your assignees.