Domestic robot

First generation Roomba vacuums the carpets in a domestic environment

A domestic robot is a robot used for household chores. Thus far, there are only a few limited models; science fiction authors have suggested that they could become more common in the future.

There are different types and classes:

1. Low level: a basic home robot is any robot that can be used at home, including the entertainment robots, like Aibo.
2. Care and chore robots: used for household chores.
3. The highest level robot is the domobot: used for household chores, autonomous and connected to a WiFi home network or smart environment. Some of them can also include a USB port.

Domestic robots in production

Working or chore robots

• Robotic mop:
  • Scooba (by iRobot)
• Robotic vacuum cleaners:
  • Koolvac (by Koolatron)
  • Orazio [1] (by Zuchetti) [2]
  • Ottoro [3] (by Hanool robotics) [4]
  • Roomba (by iRobot)
  • Robo Maxx
  • The Electrolux Trilobite
• Ironing clothes:
  • Dressman (by Siemens AG).
  • Driron (by Fagor).

Serving robot at the "Ubiquitous Dream" exhibition in Seoul, Korea on June 24 2005.

Home couriers

Main article: Robotic mapping

Home transport robots are a main element in the domestic robotic system, because they join specialized processes, moving objects at home (i.e. clothes from the bathroom to the washing machine or glasses from the table to the dishwasher):

• STR (by Iberobotics ). It includes Wi-Fi and USB connection to (domotics) newtwork.
• In 2006 Sharp said it has developed a humanoid robot that clears dishes from the table and puts them into a dishwasher. The robot (measuring 95x50x45cm) opens the door of the dishwasher, takes hold of teacups, rice bowls and plates, places them in the unit and closes the door
• Hamper robot, a delivery robot. It generally takes adapted clothes hampers and transports them to or from the washing machine, clothes dryer or wardrobe .

General helper robots

There is also general domestic helper robots, i.e. HRP-2.

Outdoors

Husquarna automower in action.

• Robotic lawnmowers
  • RoboMower (by Friendly Robotics) mows lawns.
  • The Husquarna Automower
  • Ambrogio by Zucchetti [5]
• Automated pool cleaners are robots for cleaning swimming pools.

Entertainment

• Toy robots include
  • Sony's Aibo, a robot pet dog also used by many universities in the RoboCup autonomous soccer competition
  • Robosapien, a small humanoid remote controlled robot

Domestic Robots in Popular Culture

• Many cartoons feature robot maids, notably Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons.

Social Robots

• Robots whose main object is social interaction ( partner robots) include:
  • Wakamaru, a humanoid robot designed to provide company for the elderly and less mobile people, made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, on sale from 2005
  • Paro, a robot baby seal intended to provide comfort to nursing home patients
  • PaPeRo, a robot designed by NEC to study robot-human interaction.
  • Sony's QRIO.
  • NUVO
  • Pino
  • Emiew [6]
  • Toyota Partner Robots, some of them mountable [7].

See also

Adaptable robotics Android Autonomous robot Disability robot Domotics Floor plans and house navigation system Future of robotics Gerontotechnology Home Automation for the Elderly and Disabled

Humanoid robot Intelligent system Mobile robot Personal Robot Robot kit Robotic arm Robotic mapping

Robotics suite Service robot

External links

• iRobot.
• Danatec Robotics Australian based robotic solutions for all your household needs
• Personal and Domestic Robots
• Service robots: domestic robots, IEEE.
• Care-o-bot.
• Robomow.
• TMSUK-4, humanoid domestic remote-controlled robot and Banryu-T73S.
• ER1.
• Babybot.
• Robot Info (directory of robotics news, books, videos, magazines forums and products).
• Robby a household robot.