Service Providing Robots :: Robotics

Many years ago, service-providing robots have been considered no more as fictitious thoughts made by deranged scientists and professors. In recent years, people have seen it become a reality. Within the past few years, many robotic products have come out that provide services for humans. Demand for these products have increased dramatically since then. One such robot is the Roomba, by iRobot. One author stated, â€Å"Uh oh. Somebody’s going to have to clean this up, I thought, looking down at the sausage and hamburger bits all over the carpet†¦As I went to get the vacuum cleaner, I wondered if it was time to get a personal robot.† He isn’t alone, stating that more than 1.5 million domestic cleaning robots have been sold by iRobot alone. They make four different models that clean all types of surfaces. Due to this sudden increase in sales, other companies have produced other robot types. A few examples are the Zucchetti Orazio floor cleaner, the Karcher RC3000 Robocleaner, and the Electrolux EL520A Trilobite. Although demand has not caught up to the new boom in the industry, the companies will welcome consumers with open arms when they decide to make the switch also. (Toplikar) Another article, released in 2003, states that in the first six months of that year, there was a twenty-six percent increase in demand for domestic and industrious robots for households and factories. Between January and June of 2003, 80,000 new robots were sold in Europe alone, claims the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the International Federation of Robotics, despite the twelve percent drop in the robotics market the previous year. Sales in North America increased an amazing thirty-five percent; a true economical boom. Industry still uses the majority of robots in manufacturing, although domestic units continue to grow. The majority of robots are in Japan, yet sales and use of robots in the United States will likely rise up as well. In 2002, new units, such as the automated lawnmowers and vacuum cleaners, rose from 20,000 to 33,000 units in a single year. (Clark) A third article talks about the disappointment in the year 2001, when Sony’s Aibo, a limited robotic dog came out, and how robots are going to improve in the years to come. In a talk with the creator of RoboSapiens, Mark Tilden, he explains the realistic future of robots. Robots are going to match their function, such as for entertainment, cleaning, and intelligent service. Robots already are becoming exactly what he said. In the year 2010, it is predicted that there will be 55.5 million robots, with a market of $75