What Will Robots Do For Us In 20 Years?

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When it comes to the role of robots for humans in 20 years, Boston-based Jibo CEO Steve Chambers said he "could think of almost anything."

Chambers said, however, that the theme of robotics development at his company is "connecting people to people rather than contributing to device disconnectedness." He said he would like to see robots pushed as more social platforms.

He also said the "logical answer" is to use robots to eliminate menial, mundane activities (think robot housekeepers), but he is personally more interested in how technology can "enhance your connected life." He envisions that to mean interactive holograms and realtime language translation through robotics.

iRobot Strategic Technology Director Chris Jones said he believes robots are best suited to time-consuming tasks, so humans are freed up for more rewarding activities. He pointed to the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner from iRobot as a primary example of a chore that has been handed over to robots.

Jones said that example is "just the tip of the iceberg of things that robots in the home could do for you."

PUBLISHED JUNE 19, 2015