POSTNOTE
Number 489 February 2015
Autonomous Robotics in the Home
In 2012 the UK government identified Robotics
as one of this countrys 8 Great Technologies.
The UK has technical expertise in developing
robotic control software but is lagging behind
other countries in hardware development and
overall investment. This briefing provides an
overview of home-based robotics; their
applications, the development of robotic
technology in the UK, and its potential impact
on society.
Background
What are autonomous robots?
Autonomous robots are intelligent machines
capable of performing tasks in the world by
themselves, without explicit human control over
their movements.1 To be classed as autonomous,
robots must exhibit certain characteristics:
self-maintenance (including a degree of energy
autonomy);
environmental sensing;
task performance (including navigation for
mobile robots).
Robots may exhibit different levels of autonomy
depending on their intended role or technological
sophistication. Most still require a degree of user-
instruction or rely on pre-programmed (i.e.
automatic) routines to execute their functions. The
ideal however, is to develop robotics that can
exhibit the maximum level of autonomy with the
minimum requirement of instruction from their
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA; Tel: 020 7219 2840; email: post@parliament.uk www.parliament.uk/post
Overview
Autonomous robots are becoming commercially
available. They can entertain and educate,
perform a variety of domestic tasks, and provide
basic healthcare assistance.
Public adoption of home robotics has been slow
due to limited commercial development, but
promises to increase in the near future.
The UK has important technical expertise in
robotics, both in the commercial and academic
sectors, but investment to drive UK robotic
development is lacking.
To integrate robots into our homes and lifestyles,
policy and legislation regulating their functions
and safety will be required. Robotics developers
must work closely alongside policy-makers and
the insurance industry to develop a framework in
which robotics can safely and effectively be
integrated into the home.
There are legitimate public concerns relating to
the impact of robots on society, in terms of jobs,
personal data, and human behaviour.
owner or user. This will require situational
awareness in which the robot can sense its
environment, respond to changes in that
environment, and perform its tasks effectively.2
Robotic autonomy in areas such as civilian drones
and road vehicles is rapidly increasing and in some
areas, full autonomy is on the horizon.3,4
Robotics in the home
Home robotics broadly falls into three categories:
domestic, entertainment, and healthcare, each of
which are at different stages of technical
complexity, product development and consumer
adoption (Box 1). Robots can resemble animals,
humans or machines, or may be devices built into
existing home infrastructures. Each of the classes
of home robotics described may integrate with pre-
existing technologies such as a home wireless
networks and/or mobile devices for remote control,
data collection, and software updates.
POSTNote Autonomous Robotics in the Home Page 2
Domestic robots assist with household chores and
home security monitoring; examples include
autonomous vacuum cleaners and lawn-mowing
robots, and smart intruder alarm systems, all of
which utilise laser-mapping technology to create a
floor plan and execute their tasks efficiently.
Additionally, some homebuilders are integrating
smart energy and environmental control into new
properties, and these may be regarded as a type of
home robotics, due to their ability to monitor and
respond to external changes in temperature,
humidity, and energy usage in an intelligent and
useful way.
Entertainment robots are perhaps the most
integrated and best-adopted type of robotics
currently in the home. This group largely comprises
toys such as mobile robotic animals that respond
to their environment or to user stimuli. Currently,
products dubbed 'social robots' are being
developed, which can recognise humans and read
their emotions, interact with their users, and
develop distinct personalities. While these are still
in their early stages, demand for these robots
appears to be high.5
Healthcare robots are a controversial, yet
burgeoning class of home robotics; these devices
are intended to assist with the care of young
children and the elderly. It is thought that
autonomous robots may eventually be used to
entertain, educate, and monitor the safety of
children without the presence of an adult; this
raises questions of ethics and safety in a childcare
environment. The provision of sufficient resources
for the care of the elderly is an important and timely
issue in light of a projected ageing UK population.
Healthcare robots may be able to provide medical
supervision and monitoring of elderly in their own
home, as well as providing a degree of
companionship through interaction with the robots
artificial intelligence. Such technology is already
Box 1. Examples of commercially available autonomous robots for the home:
Name Company Type Capabilities
Gadget VTech
JIBO Social Robotics (USA)
iRobot (USA), Dyson
Roomba, 360 Eye
(UK)
Honda (Japan), Black &
Miimo, Flymo
Decker (USA), Bosch
1200R, Indego,
(Germany), Husqvana
Automower
(Sweden)
Paro AIST (Japan)
HstarofTechnologies
POST is an office of both Houses
Parliament, charged with providing independent
RoNA
POST is grateful to Dr Oliver (USA)
Thompson, Natalie Wood, Carl Whitfield and Ross Booton forassisting patient
information on this subject, please contact the authors. Copyright 2015. Image copyright imgkid.
being trialed in Japan.
Public opinion
A European commission survey found that although
only 10% of people currently have experience using
robots in daily life, 67% of people already feel
generally positive about robots.6 A survey from
Ipsos Mori found that 58% of people would support
the use of robots for home use.7 Although UK
public attitudes towards robotics are generally
positive, there are concerns about their use in
specific roles (Box 2). For example, 61% of people
in the UK think that robots should not be used for
the care of children, the elderly, or the disabled.
The greatest public interest is for robots which can
help with housework, and 57% of people think that
domestic robots will become commonplace within
the next 20 years.7
Investment in home robotics
Autonomous home robotics are a relatively new
addition to the mass market and consumer pipeline,
and the industry has faced challenges in driving
consumer adoption and in securing investor
funding.8 It is thought necessary to design robotics
to artfully integrate with the structures and
practices of the home9,10, an effort which will bring
together robotics manufacturers, home designers,
architects and engineers in order to integrate these
devices in an efficient and unobtrusive way. So far
however, low investment and lack of market
demand has hindered the development of
consumer-grade robotic technologies, despite
advances within the global engineering and
technology sectors.
Global demand for home robotics
In 2013, sales of entertainment and domestic
robots rose by 28% to approximately 4 million units,
with a further 31 million units predicted to be sold
over the 2014-2017 period.11 Domestic robots
Cost
Entertainment Interactive talking robot; teaches letters, numbers 40
Telling stories, automatically taking photos, messaging
Entertainment and video calling, reminders and calendar entries,
400
companionship through emotional interaction.
Intelligent vacuum cleaners; laser-guided navigation,
Domestic 80 - 700
automatic recharging and return
Automatic lawn mowers; human/animal sensor,
Domestic 800 - 3,500
automatic recharging, 400m2 cutting per charge
Therapeutic robot; A robot seal used in clinics and
Healthcare hospitals to stimulate patients with depression or 3,500
dementia.
Robotic
nursing assistant;
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policy issues that patients,
have a basis in science and technology.
Healthcare In development
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researching mobility
this briefing and to all contributors and reviewers. For further
POSTNote Autonomous Robotics in the Home Page 3
contribute the most to these figures and are the
focus of the current consumer demand.
Entertainment robots account around a quarter of
the total units sold in 2013, but these are generally
much cheaper and vary greatly in levels of
autonomy and artificial intelligence.
International investment in home robotics
Japan is the world leader in developing
autonomous robotics (including home robotics).
Other significant innovators include the USA,
Germany, China, and Korea. However, investment
in home robotic products remains relatively low.
International Financing Review (IFR) data indicates
that from an investor standpoint, this technology is
not currently attractive, generating an estimated
$1.2 billion in total sales in 2012, compared to $25
billion for industrial robotics sales.12
UK investment in home robotics
The majority of private UK investment in robotics is
in the fields of unmanned vehicles and industrial
robotics (see also Autonomous Road Vehicles
POSTnote 443). Very few patents have been filed
by companies developing home robotics; a notable
exception is Dyson Technology Ltd who have
invested in developing robotic vacuum cleaners.
Currently, there is a decline in robotic technology
development in the UK, and little investment.
Despite this, between 2007-2012 UK businesses
showed a small increase in robotic patenting
activity compared to worldwide figures.13
The lack of private investment is likely to continue,
as SMEs currently undertaking innovation in this
field may be invisible to the market or subject to
restrictive competition from larger international
rivals. In addition, a low degree of academic
engagement and student applicants to robotics in
the UK university sector may be hindering
development of this technology in general.14 This
situation may be improved by a recent decision by
the Technology Strategy Board to invest 150
million of public money into UK robotics
development.13 This is following the UK government
identifying robotics and autonomous systems as
one of the UKs 8 Great Technologies.15
Overall, if the UK economy is to participate in, and
benefit from the development of home robotics,
there is a requirement for significant increases in
private and public investment.
Horizon Scanning: Challenges & Impact
Technology barriers
A major challenge is to develop robots that are able
to grasp and manipulate a wide variety of objects
reliably and safely16, allowing robots to assist in a
wide range of complex domestic tasks. In highly
Box 2. Questions of trust?
There is often a lag between product availability and user
adoption, as users need time to become comfortable and
familiar with new technology. This is particularly true following
the introduction of a disruptive technology like robotics, which
exhibit previously unseen levels of autonomous behaviour.
Public attitudes towards robots have been influenced by their
portrayal in popular media where they are often depicted as a
potential threat. More realistically, legitimate concerns include:
Are robotics safe to use and fully controllable?
Who is responsible in the event of accidents or harm
caused by robots?
Will robots be capable of harvesting and sharing user data,
and with whom might this data be shared?
Are jobs at risk from the introduction of robots?
It will take time for people to trust robots in roles around the
home, but - as with the proliferation of the television and the
computer - if robots become more widespread and effective,
negative perceptions may disappear.
controlled environments such as factories, robots
operate within strictly defined spaces and perform
unchanging repetitive tasks, and so can complete
tasks autonomously more reproducibly and quickly
than a human could. However, being able to
perform tasks in a home environment is much more
complicated; objects are not always in the same
place, objects for the same task can vary in size
and shape and, most importantly, humans may be
present and at risk if anything should go wrong.
Another challenge facing developers is to design
robots with deeper levels of artificial intelligence so
that they can understand human voices and learn
commands easily, visually recognise objects, or
learn new tasks and behaviours. Until recently,
advanced robotic toys have arguably been the most
intelligent robotic systems in the home. However,
with the advent of intelligent entertainment robots
such as JIBO (Box 1) that can interact with humans
more flexibly, deeper artificial intelligence is a step
closer. Ethical and legislative concerns surround
the development of ever more capable autonomous
and intelligent systems, which will impact the
development of more controversial technologies.
Legislation and Regulation
There is no specific legislation governing robots in
the home. Yet, there are questions relating to
privacy, safety, liability and the social/economic
impact of robotics that must be addressed as
technology advances and user-adoption increases.
Shaping policy and regulation in light of emerging
technologies and public adoption is problematic, as
policy-makers must respond to challenges after
they arise, but there are some obvious issues that
can be considered at an early stage. The shaping
of policy will determine how we interact with robots
POSTNote Autonomous Robotics in the Home Page 4
in the home, and will define the boundaries and
limits of functionality that society is prepared to
accept from these technologies (Box 2).
Liability and insurance
There are ongoing discussions about public liability
in the event of an accident caused by, or involving
an autonomous robot in the home. Current EU
directives provide some guidance for the safety of
consumer products17 but this does not cover
specific risks concerning home robotics. If robot
manufacturers are liable for damage caused by
their products then this could result in a decrease in
innovation and investment. Therefore, there must
be a discussion of liability between insurance
companies and robotics manufacturers. Failure to
develop a satisfactory framework could see the UK
falling behind other countries in terms of economic
benefit and manufacturing output.18
Privacy and security
To fulfill the needs of consumers, autonomous
robots might require access to personal user data,
potentially assembling a variety of personal
information that users might not want in the public
domain. For example, should healthcare robots
automatically share diagnostic data with clinicians?
Researchers are also concerned with illegal or
unethical misuse of video surveillance from
robots.19 For example, user information could
accidentally or deliberately be disclosed to third
parties, and the consequences of this could have
serious repercussions for the individuals and the
robotics industry. Policy will need to address these
issues and assess the acceptable level of data
monitoring, storage, and information sharing.
Impact on society
It is difficult to predict the outcomes of the
introduction of a disruptive technology such as
home robotics. There is a long-standing concern
that robots could replace humans in domestic and
manual employment. Likewise, healthcare robots
could reduce the need for nannies, babysitters and
care staff. Some redundancies may result from
home robotic technology, but this is unlikely to
occur within the next 50 years, as robotic
technology is still immature. Nevertheless, these
concerns could influence public opinion and hinder
the uptake of robotic technologies, subsequently
slowing their commercial development.
Home robotics for an ageing population
It is projected that the UK is facing an ageing
population crisis. Figures suggest that by 2050
keeping up with welfare payments alone will cost
the government on average an extra 2.5 billion
POST is an office of both Houses of Parliament, charged with providing independent and balanced analysis of policy issues that have a basis in science and technology.
POST is grateful to Dr Oliver Thompson, Natalie Wood, Carl Whitfield and Ross Booton for researching this briefing and to all contributors and reviewers. For further
information on this subject, please contact the authors. Copyright 2015. Image copyright imgkid.
every year from 201520: this will put a huge strain
on health and social care. As of 2010 there were
over twice as many informal unpaid care workers
than paid ones in the UK. If this level of care is to
be maintained, then by 2017 there will no longer be
enough people of working age available to fill these
roles.16 It is thought that autonomous robots and
smart technologies could assist with elderly care
and allow people live independently for longer.
Psychological impact
The ultimate aim of autonomous home robots is to
increase the quality of life and wellbeing of their
users by carrying out difficult or monotonous tasks,
providing companionship, looking after their health
and by providing entertainment. It is important,
however, to consider the possible negative effects
home robots may have on the psychological
wellbeing of their users. Robots capable of
interacting socially with their users may reduce or
replace their users normal healthy human contact,
and people could even form emotional attachments
with their robots.21 There are fears that healthcare
robots could lead to a reduction in human-human
contact for children and the elderly.
Endnotes
1 Bekey G.A. Autonomous Robots: From Biological Inspiration to Implementation
and Control, MIT Press ISBN: 9780262025782
2 POSTnote 479, Civilian Drones, October 2014
3 KTN Autonomous Systems Opportunities & Challenges for the UK, 2014
4 POSTnote 443, Autonomous Road Vehicles, September 2013
5 https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/jibo-the-world-s-first-family-robot--3
6 European Commission, Public attitudes towards robots, Special Eurobarometer
382, 2012
7 Ipsos Mori Social Research Institute, Public Attitudes to Science, March 2014
8 Rayej S. 7 Consumer robots to look out for from CES 2014, RoboHub.org, 11
January, 2014
9 Forlizzi J. & DiSalvo C. Service robots in the domestic environment: a study of
the roomba vacuum in the home. Proceedings of the 1st ACM SIGCHI/SIGART
conference on Human-robot interaction 258-265, ACM 2006
10 Taylor A. & Swann L. Artful Systems in The Home. CHI 2005 Conference
Proceedings. New York: ACM Press, 641-650, 2005
11 Internation Federation of Robotics. "World Robotics: Service Robots" 2014
12 Fidelity World Investments & the International Federation of Robotics
13 UK Intellectual Property Office. Eight Great Technologies: Robotics &
Autonomous Systems, 2012
14 Spikernell S. UK ramps up robot research with new funding, CityAM.com, 1
July 2014
15 Wiletts D. Eight Great Technologies, Department for Business, Innovation &
Skills, 24 January 2013
16 Select Committee on Public Service & Demographic Change First Report:
Ready for Ageing? House of Lords publication, 2013
17 Directive 2001/95/ec of the European Parliament & of the Council
of 3 December 2001
18 Bertolini A. & Palmerini E. Regulating Robotics: A Challenge for Europe. in
Upcoming Issues of EU Law, Directorate General for Internal Policies, Policy
Department C, Citizens Rights & Constitutional Affairs, 2014
19 Lin P., Abney K. & Bekey G.A. Robot Ethics: The Ethical & Social Implications
of Robotics, Cambridge: MIT Press, 2010
20 Cracknell R. The Ageing Population. Key Issues for the New Parliament 2010.
House of Commons Library Research.
21 J. Krumm et al. My Roomba Is Rambo: Intimate Home Appliances (Eds.):
UbiComp, LNCS 4717, pp. 145162, 2007