when we have enough robot companions out there nobody will any reason to talk to anybody that happens to be human. the fact of the matter is the youth of the western world with all its video capabilities have already started to disconnect from each other what a wonderful world we are seeing develop.

I saw something cool yesterday, where the robotics were actually components that strapped on your body to help you stand up easier or even walk if you were wheelchair bound. awesome! but the person who posted the video demonstrating the robotics (japanese) made a comment that as much good as man can invent it can also be used for evil. headshake

Appears relevant to me, William. It is a prime market. Thanks for posting.

Obviously someone thought this was "an irrelevant or inflammatory comment", or hasn't read the FAQ.

If you find something you disagree with please comment.

With nursing home care costing over $50,000 a year and climbing and our population as a whole rising in age, we face a serious problem.

I have long felt that robotic assistance in the home represents our best chance for meeting this challenge. There are already many automated devices that can help people stay at home longer by monitoring activity levels to detect falls and illnesses, keeping track of medication conformance etc.

Over the next few years I expect to see this significantly expand. Japan, which is explicitly attempting to develop robotics for this function seems to be leading the way.

My sister, who works in a nursing home, once told me that often a simple thing like not being able to button your own shirt throws a person out of their home and into nursing care. The threshold to make a difference is low.

The day may come when we don't have nursing homes, that robot companions take care of us. But, in the meantime, if something can keep someone out of a nursing home for two or three years longer there is a pretty impressive market to be met.

And, along these lines, with the advent of self driving cars, the point at which one loses their mobility because they are no longer safe to drive disappears.