'Personal robots' get ready to walk on the human side

摘要

Robotics technology is migrating from the manufacturing floor to the living room. Human-friendly personal robots are about to move in with us and are poised to create a brand new industry. The plausibility of personal robots was convincingly demonstrated at the turn of the last century "when "humanoid" robots from Honda and Sony got up to start walking. Sony's "pet" robot, the Aibo, made its first appearance in 1999 to be followed by a humanoid, the SDR-3X, in November 2000. Coming soon is the SDR-4X, which promises performance greatly enhanced over the first generation.