1:48 PM :: Stephen (contact)

"I, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Underlings": From the Associated Press:

U.N.: Robot Use to Surge Sevenfold by 2007

GENEVA (AP) -- The use of robots around the home to mow lawns, vacuum floors, pull guard duty and perform other chores is set to surge sevenfold by 2007, says a new U.N. survey, which credits dropping prices for the robot boom.

The increase in domestic robots coincides with record orders for industrial robots, the U.N.'s annual World Robotics Survey adds.

. . .

By the end of 2007, some 4.1 million domestic robots will likely be in use, the study says. Vacuum cleaners will still make up the majority, but sales of window-washing and pool-cleaning robots are also set to take off, it predicts.

Hey, as long as they're not eating old people's medicine for food. (The URL itself is also great: "http://nytimes.com/aponline/
international/AP-Robots-Among-Us.html".)