by Budge Burgess

Created on: April 03, 2009

The core problem with robots is that they're still in their infancy, and nobody can be certain what they'll achieve in maturity. The first industrial robot began work in 1926, the first programmable one in 1961. A long infancy you might think?

Consider the astonishing developments in computers or cell phones over the last twenty years and reflect on how many people own them and employ them in their daily life.

Compared to computers and cell phones, robots have made few inroads into the domestic market and, while common on some production lines, have fairly limited roles in business and industry.

So why are robots not the success story other technologies have achieved? The simple answer is, the human factor. Computers and cell phones remain redundant until a human uses them. Robots, by definition, work without direct human control.

Technically, a robot is automatically controlled, reprogrammable, and able to sense its environment and respond to changes within it - a loose definition which covers a vast range of machines.

The key factor is 'environment'. Robots have very specific jobs and tasks and operate within proscribed parameters. You can't take a robot from the production line of a car factory and deploy it to work in space.

Robots are designed as specialist tools which operate within defined environments without constant human supervision. They're at their best doing routine, mundane tasks and operating in environments which are unpleasant for humans.

So we have two immediate problems. Because they're highly specialist, most robots do not benefit from economies of scale - they are relatively expensive to produce because they are limited in numbers and, in fact, many are unique.

And they're not sexy! We all have our own favourite fictional robots - they look good, they're funny, they're super intelligent, they have obvious attractions. Real robots are boring in comparison, and, because of their limited capacity, boring in practice.

A robot vacuum cleaner might be functional, might capture your interest for twenty minutes, but, unless it swallows a kitten, you'll soon forget it. Robot toy dogs have instant consumer appeal, and probably limited lifespan in terms of lovability.

The images of robots conjured up by science fiction contrast markedly with the reality. Lots of kids build their own robots at home or at school, but the real working robot is not something which captures the popular imagination.

Science fiction, of course, has also alerted the public to the dangers

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