Dyson is working on an autonomous robot that can perform household tasks
Dyson is working on an ‘autonomous device that can perform household and other chores’. The British-Singaporean company is thinking of picking up stuffed animals, cleaning up the dishes and vacuuming furniture. Dyson plans to sell the robot by the end of this decade.
The manufacturer shows several separate robots that can perform certain tasks. Dyson, for example, shows a robot arm with a flexible squeezer to pick up plates or glasses. Another robot has another hand-like gripper with five fingers, which can pick up a stuffed animal and put it somewhere. A third robot arm consists of a camera system that can visualize a chair in 3D and vacuum it independently.
It is not clear what the robot should ultimately be able to do, what it will look like and how much it should cost. It seems that Dyson wants to sell one robot that can perform several household tasks. The manufacturer says it plans to sell household robots to consumers before the end of this decade.
To develop that robot, Dyson is now working on various techniques in different disciplines. For example, it develops techniques for image recognition and machine learning in addition to sensors, mechatronics and energy storage. The company is looking for new employees for this. This year Dyson has hired 2,000 people, half of whom are engineers, scientists and programmers. The company is seeking an additional 250 robotics technicians and expects to need an additional 700 robotics technicians over the next five years.
The robotics plan is part of a £2.75 billion investment, of which the company will invest £600 million this year. Dyson works on the household robots spread over four locations. Three of these are located in England, the fourth at Dyson’s headquarters in Singapore. One of those English locations is at London’s Imperial College, where robotics research is conducted.
Dyson is mainly known for vacuum cleaners, fans, hand dryers and hair dryers. The manufacturer also sells robot vacuum cleaners. Dyson was working on an electric car, but it scrapped those plans three years ago. Earlier this year, Dyson announced a pair of headphones with a detachable mouthpiece with the Zone. In addition to robotics, Dyson sees wearables as its future.