When I read the news earlier this week, I couldn’t help but be reminded that we are on the threshold of turning science fiction into everyday reality.
The news I’m referring to is the launch of MyRobots, a social network for robots and other electrical devices. Though still in its infancy stage – and by no means guaranteed to gain traction or mainstream adoption – this site represents a major shift in technology. And that shift will be responsible for completely transforming what is commonly referred to as home automation.
Why?
- Because as the article mentions, being in direct communication with appliances like your vacuum cleaner will make household chores much easier, more efficient, and more or less completely automated and “hands free.”
- Because in time, these machines will bypass their human owners and will begin communicating with one another (in the most basic sense of the word, not in a “iRobot” movie sense) and learning from one another (again in the most basic sense of the word) to make management of household activities like laundry, vacuuming, turning on home security systems completely automated (many refer to this concept as “the internet of things“)
In other words, we are entering an era that will transform many common household chores into non-human activities. Kids born in this generation might never have to learn how to wash the dishes or make the bed or vacuum, etc.
Unless you really want them to. Perhaps to teach them the value of old-fashioned elbow grease. Though they’ll likely give you a funny look and wonder why you’re interrupting their robot programming to pursue such mundane tasks.
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