Wiring the Help

The Jetsons had it easy. After a refreshing ultrasonic shower, old George could dial up a dinner, delivered by a fork-tongued robot maid. While Rosie's attitude may not be on the menu just yet, you might be surprised to learn how far the home robot has come in the last decade. No longer glorified toys for children, personal robots are on the loose—and they only want to help.

Today's robots can mow the lawn, serve drinks, and vacuum the floor. Some even climb stairs and negotiate roomfuls of furniture to make your life easier. And these mechanical servants don't just mutely multitask. Many include digital video cameras and teleconferencing technology, letting you look around the house, make sure the kids are doing their homework, and chat with the baby-sitter—all via remote computer connection. Some robots are capable of recognizing your voice or face, responding to verbal commands, and even showing "emotions."

My Butler, My Robot

If you're looking for a robo-Jeeves, check out the iRobotx106 (www.irobot.com), which is set to go on sale in 2002 for about $2,000. The Pentium-powered, Linux-based bot has a small oval head that contains a video camera, microphone, and speaker, allowing you to read the kids a bedtime story from afar or keep an eye on the house via a Web page. Its giraffe-like neck lets it see over tabletops, and it even climbs stairs. Future plans include arms and claws so it can fetch the newspaper from your doorstep.

A similar creation, Spy-Cye ($995; www.probotics.com), uses mapping software to move around rooms and avoid obstacles. It takes in its environs through a camera eye, and you can control its movements from anywhere with an Internet connection. The Spy-Cye, a creation of Pittsburgh-based Probotics, can be equipped with cordless vacuum ($129) and wagon ($89) attachments, allowing for pickup and delivery.

NEC's prototype R100 (not yet priced; www.incx.nec.co/jp/robot) may set itself apart for being the cutest bot in this bunch—it looks like R2-D2 for preschoolers—but it's hardly kid stuff. The R100 is designed to control appliances like lights, air conditioners, and TVs; and it can send, receive, and play back video or e-mail messages. It also recognizes voice commands, turns and looks at you when you're talking to it, and giggles when you pat its head. The PaPeRo, a smaller, lighter prototype that has improved interaction capabilities, is in the works as well.

Robotics firms are still wrestling with technology to enable robots to walk upright and handle jobs like cooking and cleaning. In the interim, task-specific droids can take on particular chores. Friendly Robotics' Robomower RL500 ($841; www.friendlyrobotics.com) frees up your summer weekends; just dispatch the bot to cut the grass while you test the tensile strength of the hammock. The Robomower navigates the perimeter of the yard, then crisscrosses the lawn in a triangular pattern. It's as quiet as a cat, and it mulches too. Indoors, Dyson's soon-to-be-released DC-06 ($3,500 estimated; www.dyson.com) will find its own way around the room while vacuuming the carpets. Dual Cyclone technology even eliminates the chore of changing bags.

Futuristic Playmates

While some robots may take care of your dirty work, others can make you feel like you're living on a George Lucas movie set. Interactive robotic toys are flooding the market—and the leader in the toy robot field is Sony's Aibo ERS-210 ($1,500; www.aibo.com), a digital hound that doesn't shed or chase the cat. It comes out of the box like a wobbly newborn pup, and has to learn basic skills, eventually responding to 40 voice commands when fully trained. The Aibo has voice recognition and expresses emotions like anger, fear, and surprise by flapping its ears and wagging its tail. It even gets sad and lethargic if you ignore it.

For curious youngsters, a number of products are specifically geared to spark the minds of tomorrow's robot builders. Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 1.5 from Lego ($199; www.legomindstorms.com) brings the company's traditional toys to life through an RCX microcomputer. And ActivMedia Robotics' AmigoBOT ($1,795; www.mobilerobots.com) teaches users to write their own programs.

Robots may not yet be great confidants like Judy Jetson's diary DiDi, but they're coming closer to being our companions as well as our housekeepers, landscapers, and watchdogs. Soon robot helpers will not only walk on two legs and interact with you, but—with any luck at all—they'll also be able to whip up a decent meatloaf.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Ziff Davis Smart Business.