At one time, robots were forecast to take over the menial, dangerous and repetitive jobs that humans are loathe to do. to some degree, that has happened in that robots are used in factories to perform these types of jobs or in situationsùsuch as identifying potential explosivesùthat are too dangerous for humans. Honda has taken the concept of robots a step farther into the humanoid realm and created ASIMO, a robot that has humanoid features including legs and arms.
However, Asimo has not yet gained the widespread acceptance of a servant or assistant that Honda might like in part because humans are afraid of robots that are human-like. Science fiction writers and filmmakers have long portrayed robots as posing a danger to humans because robots are physically more durable and their programming can make them smarter than humans, at least in some areas. Honda has taken steps to overcome this image by making Asimo smaller than the average adult human, by removing facial features, and by using a carefully constructed public relations program that spans countries and even includes a demonstration at Disneyland.
Whether humanoid robots will overtake purely functions-specific robots such as the roomba or scooba remains to be seen. There is certainly an advantage to having a multi-function robot, but from a cost standpoint, single- or dual-function robots may prove more successfulùand less threateningùin the long-term.
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