Time to lay down feather dusters as scientist predicts robots will be doing our household chores by 2050
Leading futurologist reckons that technological advances over the next 35 years will take care of cleaning, cooking, shopping and even the dreary school run
IT will soon be time to put down your rubber gloves, feather dusters and vacuum cleaners and put your feet up.
It won’t be long before household chores will be a thing of the past – well, for humans anyway.
Leading futurologists reckon that by 2050 robots and gadgets will be taking care of all our daily chores.
Dr Ian Pearson, who advises companies on advances in science and engineering, said: “The more advanced technology becomes, the more we can focus on being human.” Here, we look at those household chores – from the school run to tidying – that could, with a little automated help over the next 35 years, give us all more free time.
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Cleaning
THE Roomba automated vacuum is already keeping homes clean and soon drones with bacteria-blitzing UV lights will sweep over worktops.
Dr Pearson adds: “Stains will disappear. Nano-tech will be built into worktops which can be triggered to sterilise them.”
Cooking
MOLEY Robotics, of London, launched a prototype “robo-chef” last year, which replicates a cook’s movements with its human-like hands.
And most homes will have a robotic butler that talks to smart devices in the household to rustle us up anything we fancy.
Shopping
SMART fridges which know when you are low on milk are already on the market. But in the future your home’s AI will suggest new things too.
Dr Pearson says: “It will know your likes, dislikes and what you might like to buy. It will know because it’s done the shopping.”
Tidying
“SMALL insect-like robots will wander about picking things up and a butler robot will clear away dishes and shove them in the dishwasher,” says Dr Pearson.
Robots will also help save space in our ever shrinking homes and apartments by putting things away more efficiently.
School run
WHILE driverless vehicles are being tested today, Dr Pearson predicts levitating “pods” will do the school run in the future.
He said: “They will be 100 times cheaper than current cars and won’t need AI on board as they will be controlled by the road network.”
Booking holidays
VIRTUAL reality well let us have a sneak preview of where to book for our hols. Dr Pearson says: “You might want to explore a hotel and see what it really looks like. Is it finished? How big is the pool?
“You’ll get to customise your holiday and know your way around before you arrive.”
Decorating
MICROSOFT’S HoloLens, an augmented reality headset launched in March, can layer things into our view that aren’t there. By 2050 this tech will be the size of a contact lens and redecorating will be easy. Dr Pearson adds: “Most surfaces, including paint on the walls, will change colour in an instant.”
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