Coming to your home: From cleaning to brewing, robots for all the chores

Mainstreaming of humanoid robots will impact societies and economies. Highly populous countries with young populations will have to rethink their policies for employment, labour

Robotic arms brewing coffee or pouring drinks in cafes and restaurants are fairly common. Some restaurants have automated machines that collect used plates and wheel them to kitchens. Airports and malls using responsive robots for cleaning is routine.
 

Robots of many shapes, sizes and purposes are part of our daily lives. People often don’t realise the level of automation and robotics in society. Despite their portrayal in movies for decades, the image of a humanoid robot walking among us still sparks surprise, excitement and anxiety. 
 

When Tesla founder Elon Musk this week showed off Optimus, an autonomous assistant that can "do anything", it triggered fresh interest about the impact and utility of humanoid robots. At an event in Los Angeles, he showcased fully self-driven cabs and vans that will operate without pedals and a steering wheel. The three products will be made for mass consumption globally.
 

The market for robotic products is growing steadily and the demand for humanoid robots is strong and well-articulated. A report by Goldman Sachs Research estimates that the global market for humanoid robots will in 10-15 years be worth $38 billion from a previous forecast of $6 billion. The market could even be much bigger. “Should the hurdles of product design, use case, technology, affordability, and wide public acceptance be completely overcome, our analysts envision a market of up to $154 billion by 2035 in a blue-sky scenario,” according to the report named ‘Humanoid Robot: The AI Accelerant’ released earlier this year.
 

Humanoid robots have become smarter, cheaper and more human owing to a collection of factors. Firstly, the cost of components and parts has reduced as other machines get robotic features. Artificial intelligence (AI) has allowed such robots to improve their latency in response and become more lifelike. According to the Goldman Sachs report the manufacturing cost of humanoid robots has dropped: From an estimated $50,000 (for a lower-end model) and $250,000 (top version) to a range of $30,000-$150,000 now. While analysts had expected costs to reduce 15-20 per cent per annum, they declined more than 40 per cent.
 

Not surprising then that Musk announced that Optimus could be available for as low as $20,000. The robot will be a household help, watering plants, serving food and managing other sundry chores. “It will basically do anything you want. It can be a teacher. It can babysit your kids, walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, and serve drinks.
Whatever you can think of, it will do and it's going to be awesome,” he said at an event called ‘We, Robot’.
 

A report by Morgan Stanley predicted that by 2040 the United States (US) may have 8 million working humanoid robots, with a $357 billion impact on wages. By 2050 the number of humanoid robots will rise to 63 million, potentially shaping 75 per cent of occupations, 40 per cent of employees and roughly $3 trillion in payroll. The investment bank’s analysts said that as many as 70 per cent of construction jobs and 67 per cent in farming, fishing and forestry could be impacted in the US alone. 
 

Boston Dynamics has a range of humanoid and dog-like robots that can perform various industrial tasks and are deployed in construction sites, factories and warehouses.
 

So far humanoid robots have been busy on shop floors and warehouses. Their entry in homes would be a pivotal change for global societies and economies.
 

Mainstreaming of humanoid robots will impact economies like India and China as well. Highly populous countries with young populations will have to rethink their labour and employment policies. Such machines will be useful in replacing people in dull, dirty, dangerous and difficult tasks. This will not solve the challenge of finding useful work opportunities for humans though. 
 

Humanoid robots are likely to enter our homes faster than we realise. India and similar economies must prepare for their arrival.