As the promise of having a friendly robot butler to handle the mundane tasks of running a household becomes a reality, a new wave of domestic robots is set to hit the UK market this year. From folding laundry to loading the dishwasher, these AI-powered machines are being trained at breakneck speed to take on a variety of household chores.
I recently had the opportunity to meet some of these cutting-edge domestic robots, including Eggie from Tangible AI and NEO from 1X. While they may not yet be fully autonomous, these bots are already demonstrating impressive capabilities, albeit with the help of human operators. Eggie, for example, was able to hang up a jacket, strip a bed, and wipe up a spill, albeit at a slow and stuttering pace. NEO, on the other hand, could water plants, fetch drinks, and tidy up dishes, though it struggled with certain tasks like opening cupboard doors.
The companies behind these robots, such as Tangible AI and 1X, are confident that with the power of AI and the wealth of data they’re collecting, their domestic bots will become increasingly capable and independent. Bipa sha Sen, the founder of Tangible AI, even predicts that in the future, having a robot in the home will be as common an aspiration as owning a car or a house.
However, the reality is that the first wave of customers for these robots will likely need to be patient and not overly concerned about privacy, as the bots will still require significant human intervention when they become confused. And with price tags ranging from around £20,000 to £500 per month, these domestic robots are firmly aimed at the high-end market.
Elsewhere in the industry, other start-ups are taking different approaches to the challenge of developing capable household robots. Weave Robotics, for instance, has already deployed its stationary bot, Isaac, to laundromats across San Francisco, where it can autonomously fold clothes in around 90 seconds. Meanwhile, Sunday AI has created a robot called Memo that can independently make coffee, tidy up, and even handle delicate items like wine glasses, though it did suffer the occasional mishap.
Despite the progress, experts caution that it may take up to 20 years before domestic robots become truly useful and widely accepted. The path to creating a robot that can navigate the chaos of a home environment is far more challenging than designing one for a factory setting. Additionally, there are questions about the level of demand for these high-end machines, as they may remain the playthings of the wealthy rather than becoming mainstream.
Nonetheless, the investment and enthusiasm surrounding this technology, from tech giants like Amazon and OpenAI to Chinese rivals, suggest that the future of domestic robotics is bright. As the engineers at the forefront of this revolution continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, the dream of having a robot butler may soon become a reality for a select few.
