Automation

End of the Line

To Get Robots in Every Home, It’s About Actuators, Not AI

All consumer goods are heavily cost-driven. Household robotics are no exception.

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Everyone wants the universal household robot. According to Jim Anderton, for widespread adoption, they are going to have to have a price point that allows monthly financing or lease payments that are roughly similar to a car, suggesting that manufacturers will need to retail units in the neighbourhood of $ 40,000 to get widescale uptake. 

If designed properly, the machines could be durable enough to carry a residual value, creating a secondary market for used equipment, to allow monthly payments that could be affordable for the majority of households.
 To achieve this, the robot makers are going to have to stop thinking like NASA, and rethink things like titanium and carbon fiber. Commodity plastic resins, utility grade aluminum alloys and critically, affordable batteries will be the way forward. 

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Written by

James Anderton

Jim Anderton is the Director of Content for ENGINEERING.com. Mr. Anderton was formerly editor of Canadian Metalworking Magazine and has contributed to a wide range of print and on-line publications, including Design Engineering, Canadian Plastics, Service Station and Garage Management, Autovision, and the National Post. He also brings prior industry experience in quality and part design for a Tier One automotive supplier.