Robot Revolution: Three Bots That Handle Household Chores
Robots don’t belong only in science fiction anymore. The field of robotics has slowly made its way into our everyday lives, tackling household chores once exclusively the domain of us mere humans.
The consumer robot market was worth $1.6 billion in 2012, and ABI Research predicts the field will grow to $6.5 billion by 2017. Just about everyone’s heard of robots that vacuum our floors, but here are three you may not have heard of yet:
The Husqvarna Automower
Lawn care giant Husqvarna unveiled its robotic lawn mower, the Automower, likely the most sophisticated of the Husqvarna brand mowers. The newest autonomous mower, the 220 AC, follows the same basic operational procedure as the others, according to Consumer Reports. Users set the lawn’s perimeter with sensors, and the machine proceeds to mow in a random pattern throughout the designated area. The magazine says that its performance is satisfactory even on 3,000 square-foot tracts of land. Prices start at about $2,700.
The I-Shovel
Shoveling snow is a backbreaking task that can make winter more depressing that it already is. Standing outside in freezing weather moving mountains of snow isn’t anyone’s idea of a fun time. This is where the I-Shovel comes in. The robot automatically activates when it detects snow accumulation. Better yet, it start ups before there is too much of the white stuff to handle, so it doesn’t need much power to operate. Alas, the machine is awaiting its patent, so stay tuned to see when it actually hits the market and how much it will cost.
The Windoro
Robots that clean floors and mow lawns have been around for years, but when it comes to windows, people have been left doing the work themselves. The Windoro aims to change that. This little robot is a two-part machine that automatically scrubs the grime off both sides of your windows. You simply place one part on each side of the window, and magnets hold them together as they do the work. It can handle windows as thick as about one inch, according to CNET.com. Set the machine going, and you’ll soon have a clean window. This is not only a great way to save on the need for human labor, it’s also safer than going outside to get the windows on upper floors.
It’s available right now in the UK from AutoWindowCleaner.co.uk for 429 Euros plus shipping. Considering the exchange rate, that’s quite an investment—but anyone who loves to have the latest and greatest technology will be glad to pay it.
As these developments show, there is a decent amount of activity in the consumer robotics market, but there is still quite a way to go. Someday, machines like these will be readily available. Until then, keep an eye out for new developments. It’s definitely exciting to see these machines actually make it to reality.
Authored By : Aaron Smith a freelance writer from New York, N.Y.