A new study by ABI Research shows that by 2015 the market for personal robotics components might reach $12 billion. They expect task robotics (that ease routine chores like cleaning, driving, etc) and entertainment robotics to have roughly equal parts in this revenues.

The computerworld article goes on to speculate that a part of the entertainment sector will be made up by human-like robots that can act as companions (see also my article on seducing robots for more on this).

By 2015, ABI Research expects more than 21 million robots shipped yearly, and predicts very high demand in sensors, actuators, servos and manipulators.

This study indicates that elaborate robots will penetrate the market very soon, which is only the next step after “intelligent” microcontrollers, that can nowadays be found everywhere, in cars, toys and even rice cookers. This increased dependency on machines with a high level of computerisation and connectivity together with a lacking sense for the possible threats of advanced AI is dangerous, the AI Panic Level increases by +3%. In the worst case scenario (which we have to take care of) robots with a network connection could be remotely controlled or reprogrammed (for example through a tampered firmware update) to follow the commands of an AI that went berserk.

Stumble it!

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