Robot technology has been developed for much longer than most of us realize. We’re only recently seeing the trickle-down effect of this tech with the emergence of household robotic devices. In reality, broader industries like manufacturing, engineering, and healthcare have used highly developed robot systems for aeons!
We’ve all seen videos of those crazy-looking robots from Boston Dynamics, but we’re far away from anything quite so advanced in the realm of home tech. Instead, most of the robot tech in our homes focuses on being helpful in one way or another. You won’t have a robot walking around doing your dishes and putting the kids to bed – but there are still plenty of cool products out there.
After scouring the web and looking at the various options available, these are the best robotic technologies you can implement in your home right now:
Robot Vacuum Cleaners
They’ve been around for probably a decade or more, but robot vacuum cleaners are some of the handiest robotic tools on the planet. They use a combination of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning to map out your home with countless sensors. This helps them move around and learn where all the different obstacles are while they vacuum.
All the while, there’s a vacuum cleaning device installed in these small disc-like robots that sucks or sweeps up dust and debris into a housing compartment. When the robot is full, it travels back to base and is ready for you to empty.
Some have become so advanced they spot ledges and use protruding “legs” to climb over them. Others have docking stations that automatically clean the robot vacuum and empty it. They might be small, but they’re incredibly useful tools – and they spawned a wave of cleaning robots for homes.
Robot Lawnmowers
While not quite a “cleaning” device, robot lawnmowers hold a strong place in many people’s hearts. A robotic lawn mower is capable of slicing your grass with zero stress. You can put your feet up or handle other gardening tasks while a small robot mower zooms around and provides an even trim.
They’re similar to robot vacuums in that they use sensors and radars to know where to cut. The difference with a mower is it uses GPS satellites to figure out where your lawn ends. This is the latest innovation in the robot mower world, and it lets the devices cut the grass without needing a boundary rope to tell them where to stop.
As these robots have progressed, we’ve seen many little upgrades here and there. Some robot lawnmowers are a lot bigger and sturdier than they used to be – and they’re capable of collecting more crass cutting, which saves you even more time.
Robot Mopping Devices
People loved robot vacuum cleaners so much that tech developers decided to introduce something alongside it: the robot mop.
These devices look almost identical to vacuum cleaners, but they spray water and use cleaning products to mop hard floors and tiles. Again, it’s an incredibly helpful tool that lets you keep your home tidy at all times. You no longer need to worry about accidentally spilling something in your kitchen or getting the floor a bit dirty. Your robot mopping device will launch from its docking bay and clean everything in a flurry.
Most robot mops began as standalone mopping devices. However, there’s a growing trend involving a merger between mops and vacuums. Some tech companies realized you could combine the features of a mop and vacuum in the same device. It’s led to small robot vacuums that clear away dust/debris before utilizing a spraying and mopping function. Effectively, they’re a few limbs away from being your personal maid!
Robot Window Cleaners
Next, you have one of the more unusual robot devices for the home. Robotic window cleaners shouldn’t work, and yet they do. This basically takes the robot mop and sticks it to a window. I can’t tell you exactly how this works, but the device literally sticks flat against the window and can move around it.
Much like a robot mop, the robot window cleaner can spray cleaning solution over the surface before running over it. The window cleaners come equipped with soft cleaning wipes to provide a thorough and smear-free clean. If you have cleaning your windows, then this is one of the best assistants you could wish for – it even works outside!
The main difference between robot window cleaners and other robot cleaning devices is that they’re not wireless. Most will have a cord that attaches to a power bank – this is probably what powers the device and stops it from falling away from the window. Still, it’s a cool bit of kit that’s fun to use around the home.
Robot Desk Companions
Yep, you read that correctly. Robot desk companions are taking the world by storm – and they might be more than a simple gimmick. Emo is the one that went viral recently; it’s a small robot-looking thing that walks around your desk and makes different noises. This sounds like a toy, but it genuinely comes with more functions.
Emo – and other robot desk companions – are built with AI processors that help them listen to your questions and provide feedback. You can ask them anything and get an answer – some will even connect to your PC and direct you to certain websites.
If you’re a work-from-home warrior, then these companions can be extremely fun to play around with and more than a bit practical. The coolest thing about them is their potential. As robotics develops and AI gets even smarter, we could see these companions get bigger and be able to do things like grab stuff from the kitchen, etc.
The robots are coming, but they’re not taking over (yet). You’ve got loads of great robotic tech to add to your home and live a much less stressful life. We’re excited to see new developments in all of these realms – as well as keep an eye on even more advanced home robot tech for the future.
