And you know who will be making and selling those robots? Japanese companies, that's who. The U.S. will be known for growing corn and selling software. Japan will be making the fuel cell engines, microelectronics, and robots that enhance the quality of life of citizens around the world.
Domestic robots are starting to become a reality. Starting with Roomba, reliable, useful robots are truly within reach. It's too bad the U.S. government doesn't have enough vision to coordinate or even fund some robotics research. If it isn't military or nanotechnology, it seems, the U.S. government doesn't want to fund it.
Analysis: The first domestic robot you buy will probably be made in Japan.
Demand for robots jumped by a unprecedented 26% in the first half of
2003 from a year ago, said the annual World Robotics Survey released on
Tuesday.
While industrial robots continue to dominate the market, sales in
domestic robots saw the biggest rises.
In 2002, sales of "domestic robots" - mostly self-piloting lawnmowers
and window-cleaners - rose to 33,000 up from 20,000 the previous year,
said the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the International
Federation of Robotics.
The report found that Japan still remains the world's most robotized
economy, and is home to around half the 770,000 robots working in
factories around the world.