The more of these “toys” consumers see in the marketplace, the more they become accustomed to the idea of robotics in the home, (which is not an altogether comfortable thing for many people.) However, when the level of comfort reaches a certain threshold for the “everyman” consumer, AND a “killer App” which includes robotics hits the market, I think we’ll see consumer robotics move into the mainstream, with increasing numbers of robotics uses being adopted and accepted into the American home.

There’s one thing that most robotics companies currently looking at the consumer market don’t seem to “get” yet: Widespread acceptance of consumer robotics will NOT hinge upon a “killer App” ROBOT, but will instead hinge upon fulfilling a widespread consumer need with an appliance or piece of equipment that INCORPORATES robotics. So it’s not about ROBOTICS, it’s about answering a need or want, and using robotics as merely part of that solution set. If the item is a “Robotic Widget”, then it will not sell as well as a “Widget” which just happens to do what its new owner needs done with a degree of autonomous-ness, robot-ness, etc.

iRobot is breaking a lot of consumer ground with the Roomba and related products, but this is primarily consumer “robot acceptance” ground. I don’t think we’ve seen the real “Killer App” that is going to open the floodgates of consumer robotics yet, and I don’t think we’ll see it in the short term with robotic lawnmowers, etc.

But it’s coming.

Anyways, they already have autonomous machine-gun robots, made by Samsung.