iRobbie the Robot Butler is Coming to a Home Near You

As my 'home cleaning companion' (a robot vacuum I've had for like 7 years) is heard vacuuming the floors, I'm reading the news of Apple working on the next must-have gadget to separate you from your hard-earned cash - a home robot assistant that's sure to be the hottest thing since sliced bread (which it can probably slice for you too).

Their engineering and AI teams are looking at two main ideas:

A mobile robot that can follow users around the house
A tabletop device with a movable display that can track people during video calls
The original plan was for a videoconferencing robot that could navigate spaces. Some engineers even thought about a robot for chores like washing dishes, though it's unclear if that's possible.

This project is still in the early stages with no clear release date. Apple's interest in home robots follows products like Mitsubishi's Wakamaru and iRobot's Roomba vacuum.

Will Youl Let a Robot into Your House?

Someone recently told me a rumour that those home vacuums are 'watching us' because they have cameras. Well damn, I don't know if my old Roburto is in fact a peeing Tom, but whoever/whatever seeing me naked is a small price to pay for having my chores done by not me, ya know?

As for a real smart-ass robot living in my house... I'm not sure, likely a pass for me. Although if/when everyone around is having them and they don't seem to be rebelling/plotting to kill the owners while they sleep the temptation will be real.

What about you guys?