Robotics 2025: Still Waiting for the Robot Butler? 🤖

[admin]

Remember when we were promised robot butlers by 2020? Flying cars? Jetpacks?

WHERE ARE THE ROBOTS?

We imagined Rosie from The Jetsons. We got Roombas that get stuck on socks.

But here's what's actually happening: While consumer robotics disappoints, industrial and specialized robots are quietly transforming everything.

ROBOTICS THAT'S ACTUALLY WORKING:

1. Warehouse Automation

• Amazon, Alibaba, Ocado: Robots moving products 24/7
• Humans now "robot supervisors"
• Efficiency gains: 50%+
• Job displacement: Yes, significant
• Companies: Boston Dynamics (Stretch), Amazon Robotics, Locus

2. Surgical Robots

• Da Vinci System: 7,000+ units globally
• More precise than human hands
• Minimally invasive procedures
• Faster patient recovery
• Still human-controlled (not autonomous)

3. Agricultural Robots

• Automated planting, watering, harvesting
• Drones monitoring crop health
• Precision pesticide application (reduces chemical use)
• Addressing farm labor shortages
• Companies: John Deere (autonomous tractors), Iron Ox (robotic farms)

4. Delivery Robots (Limited Success)

• Work in controlled environments (campuses, suburbs)
• Fail in complex urban settings
• Sidewalk robots: Starship, Kiwibot
• Cute but limited use case
• Not replacing delivery drivers yet

5. Manufacturing Robots

• Traditional but advancing rapidly
• More flexible, easier to program
• Collaborative robots (cobots) work alongside humans
• Smaller businesses can now afford
• Companies: Universal Robots, ABB, FANUC

WHY CONSUMER ROBOTICS KEEPS FAILING:

❌ Real World Too Complex

• Labs are controlled; homes are chaotic
• Stairs, pets, clutter, varying layouts
• Humans navigate effortlessly; robots struggle
• Problem: General-purpose is incredibly hard

❌ Cost vs. Value Doesn't Work

• $20,000 robot butler vs. hiring help
• Breaks down, requires maintenance
• Does fewer things than advertised
• Not compelling value proposition

❌ Battery Life & Power

• Advanced robots need significant energy
• Frequent charging kills usefulness
• Energy density hasn't improved enough
• Progress: Solid-state batteries may help

❌ Uncanny Valley Problem

• Humanoid robots feel creepy
• People prefer obviously-mechanical designs
• Social acceptance barrier
• Exception: Toy robots (Anki Cozmo) succeed

THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT):

What Actually Works:

✅ Smart Thermostats

• Nest, Ecobee ($150-250)
• Genuinely save energy (10-15%)
• ROI in 1-2 years
• Remote control useful

✅ Security Cameras

• Ring, Arlo, Wyze ($30-300)
• Peace of mind
• Package theft deterrence
• Concern: Privacy, hacking

✅ Smart Locks

• August, Schlage, Yale ($100-300)
• No keys to lose
• Remote access, guest codes
• Concern: Battery dying, connectivity

What's Annoying:

❌ Everything Requiring App + Internet

• Light bulb needs account? Really?
• Devices stop working when company shuts servers
• Example: Insteon bankruptcy bricked devices

❌ Incompatibility Between Brands

• Need 5 apps for 5 devices
• Limited interoperability
• Solution: Matter protocol (new standard, slow adoption)

❌ Security Nightmares

• Hacked baby monitors
• Botnets made of smart devices (Mirai)
• Default passwords never changed
• Minimal security updates

❌ Subscription Creep

• Buy $300 doorbell, pay $10/mo for features
• Cloud storage requires subscription
• Features held hostage
• Frustrating: You already paid for hardware!

ROBOTICS PROJECTS YOU CAN TRY:

Beginner:

• Arduino ($20-50) - Learn electronics, programming
• LEGO Mindstorms ($350) - Educational, fun
• Raspberry Pi robot kits ($50-150)

Intermediate:

• ROS (Robot Operating System) - Open-source robotics framework
• TurtleBot ($1,500) - Research platform
• DJI Tello ($100) - Programmable drone

Advanced:

• Spot (Boston Dynamics) ($75,000!) - Quadruped robot (lease cheaper)
• Unitree robots ($1,600+) - Budget quadrupeds
• Build your own with ROS - Ultimate learning

THE FUTURE (Maybe?):

Humanoid Robots:

• Tesla Optimus - Big claims, limited deployment
• Figure 01 - Working in BMW factory
• Boston Dynamics Atlas - Impressive demos, not commercial
• Question: Will they actually work or perpetual "5 years away"?

Autonomous Delivery:

• Expanding slowly but steadily
• Nuro, Waymo working on autonomous delivery
• Robot deliveries in select cities
• Barrier: Regulations, safety concerns

Home Robots:

• Still waiting for more than vacuuming
• Folding laundry remains impossibly hard
• Laundroid tried, failed ($16,000, bankruptcy)
• Maybe the dream is unrealistic?

Robot Taxis:

• Waymo operating in Phoenix, SF (successfully!)
• Cruise halted after incidents
• Works in specific cities, not everywhere
• Still human safety drivers in many

CONTROVERSIAL TAKE:

We don't actually want robots in our homes. We want solutions to problems, and most don't require humanoid robots—they require better software, services, or just doing things differently.

Robot butler = unnecessary. Affordable housekeeping service = actual solution.

LEARNING RESOURCES:

Courses:

• MIT OpenCourseWare - Introduction to Robotics (free)
• Coursera - Robotics Specialization (University of Pennsylvania)
• Udacity - Robotics Software Engineer Nanodegree

YouTube:

• Boston Dynamics - Amazing robot demonstrations
• Simone Giertz - DIY silly robots (entertaining + educational)
• James Bruton - DIY robot builds

Communities:

• r/robotics - Enthusiasts and professionals
• ROS Discourse - Robot Operating System community
• Hackaday.io - DIY robotics projects

Conferences:

• ICRA - International Conference on Robotics and Automation
• IROS - Intelligent Robots and Systems

QUESTIONS:

• Do you use robots/IoT devices? Do they improve life?
• What robotic task would be worth paying for?
• Why has consumer robotics failed to take off?
• Are we asking robots to solve wrong problems?

Share your robotics experiences! 👇