What robots are doing in homes right now
Robot vacuums are top-up cleaners, and many end up in a cupboard. Companion robots lift mood for a few months; the effect fades.
7Jobs robots do for a home today
16Independent deployment records behind this page
10 of 16Records that document a pause, removal or failure
Tick the jobs you want a robot to take
Each card shows how mature the job isWhere this does not work — read before you enquire
- Many robot vacuums get abandoned. In a field study, most households gave up within two weeks — the home had to change around the robot.
- Price does not predict cleaning. In an independent test, a premium model scored no better than much cheaper ones.
- Camera robots can be hacked. Remote takeovers have ended with robots in the garage.
- Companion effects fade. In the one study that checked, early mood gains had gone by six months.
- Phones replace companion robots. In a long-term study, users who quit had moved the same jobs to their phone.
- Some claims are self-reported. Programme loneliness figures come from user surveys without a control group.
Unlabelled points come from operator-reported or independently observed deployments.
Built on 16 independent deployment records. Robot prices are vendor or reseller list figures and vary by market — confirm with the vendor.