Let’s face it. One of the worst things about “adulting” is having to clean.



If we can get out of it in any way, we’ll do it. And since machines are made to make our lives easier, it makes sense we want a machine made to clean.

But in sci-fi, we want to go one further. We want a robot to do it for us.



In fact, the first time the word robot was even used was way back in 1920, in a Czech play called Rossum’s Universal Robots.



Which was about…yep… you guessed it. Robotic maids and butlers… the robots rebel, but that’s a story for another time.



The important thing is, what was once just a play is now pretty close to becoming reality.



Let’s find out how the science fiction, inspired science reality.



‘Sci-fi has long imagined a future with robots.



But has often portrayed them as one dimensional: fully good, or fully evil.



Early sci-fi robots sometimes tried to destroy humanity….



But often, they were helpful assistants--doing menial chores for humans.



“Carpets a bit dirty? Leave it to Robert. He’s the perfect household help, alright.”



Like Rosie, the Jetsons family’s housekeeper, who cooked, cleaned, and helped the kids with homework.



Most homes today don’t yet have robot butlers,



But, in 2002 robotics company iRobot introduced the Roomba-- a robotic vacuum that could automatically clean floors.





Colin Angle, co-founder of iRobot, cites Rosie the robot as an inspiration for the Roomba, saying “People kept asking, ‘When do I get Rosie?’ She had a huge influence on the industry.



Thanks, Rosie!



Robots that move more animals or human-like in form,

have long been in development.



Some even exceed human abilities.

Like that!



Boston Dynamics robots can open doors, carry heavy objects, and do parkour.





Sci-fi has also imagined artificial intelligence inside machines that can think and problem-solve at a human-like level.



One of the first complex sci-fi portrayals of AI is in 2001: A Space Odyssey, co-written by Arther C. Clarke and director Stanley Kubrik.



Marvin Minsky, an early AI researcher at MIT advised Kubrick on the depiction of AI computer HAL 9000



HAL 9000 could speak…

“Good afternoon, Mr. Amer.”



play chess….



“Bishop takes knight’s pawn”



and make plans…



“Open the pod bay doors, Hal”



Deadly plans.



“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”



Today, many of us have AI in our homes, in the form of assistants Alexa and Siri – which are friendly – we hope.



But as helpful as AI might become, it stops short of processing human idiosyncrasies and emotion …



“Sorry, I didn’t quite get that.”





an issue illustrated in sci-fi by Star Trek’s android Data.



“You told a joke”



“Yes!”



“I am not laughing.



“Yes”



“Perhaps the joke was not funny.”



“No, the joke was funny. It’s you, Dave.”





Rosie led to the Roomba, and now we have Alexa.



With innovative jumps like that, it’s hard to imagine where we go from here. In sci-fi, it may be revolution…



“Will robots take over the world?”



“Yes, and the revolution is set a week from Saturday.”



But in reality, it’s whatever we have the creativity to program for.



Now stop procrastinating by watching this video, and go and do the laundry. It’s not going to wash itself… Yet.