Machines Like Us

A report from ABI Research is predicting that by the year 2015, people will probably be willing to spend as much for a multitasking humanoid robot as they would for a new car. Within seven years, the personal robot market will likely balloon to $15 billion, said Philip Solis, an analyst at the New York-based research firm.

As the price of robots increases, so will consumers' expectations, Solis said.

Today, most personal robots, like iRobot Corp.'s Roomba vacuum cleaner, perform a single function or task. "IRobot currently dominates this market and is increasingly targeting areas outside the U.S. and expanding its product line," said Solis in a statement. "Its disciplined approach to keeping products relatively simple and practical has enabled the company to lead the market for task robots."

Read full story in Computer World