When you mention the word "robot," most people think of either large
industrial bots that do heavy work on factory floors, suicidal bots doing
battle on TV, fanciful R&D bots gracing the labs of universities, or simple
hobby bots of the LEGO Mindstorms ilk. Don't get me wrong, all such creations
are deeply fascinating to me and embody tremendous ingenuity and engineering
craftsmanship. However, I want a robot that I can make do a variety of things
around the house or place of business, one that won't cost a small fortune
and is flexible and evolvable enough that I'm not stuck with a robot
constrained to accomplishing a single task. Essentially, I want something
that doesn't exist. I want the "Personal Robot."
Despite what may have been perceived as blind fantasy, a few y... (more)