SNET Internet : Features : Survey : Personal Robots

Respondents to this week's SNET survey mostly indicated that if they could have a personal robot, they'd have it do things to reduce the drudgery in everyday life. "Household chores" was the No. 1 answer.

But some folks were more adventurous. Read on. ;-)

The results:

If you could have a personal robot, what would you most like it to be able to do?

Household chores - 2,214 (60%)
Yardwork - 541 (15%)
Homework - 212 (6%)
Defense - 177 (5%)
Be my friend - 179 (5%)
Entertain me - 196 (5%)
Other (Write us) - 171 (5%)

Your comments:

"I want my robot to earn a living for me." Jim, Harwinton

"I would like a robot to monitor my health. Blood pressure, pulse, blood sugar, cholesterol etc. Also prompt me for medication and alert me to problems. Maybe even count calories of food intake." Mike, Enfield

"Um, what's 'personal' about a robot?" C.G.F., Naugatuck

"'If you could have a personal robot, what would you most like it to be able to do?' I would have a Stepford Wife for continuous intimacy." J.L.W., Terryville

"I think having a robot would be a bad thing because if I had it doing everything that I had to do at home I would become lazy and most likely it would affect my performance at work. The people that would most likely have the robot would be the rich people. What they should do is give there robot to a family that works for a living and then do their own work themselves and see what it is like to do work." Kieth, Lisbon

"As a person with a disability that would be a dream come true. I have the ideal personal assistant to help me enjoy those places that claim they are accessible to all. A personal assistant that would be totally on my schedule. A assistant to give me my freedom of choice back ... nice dream ... maybe someday." Deb, Litchfield

"Hands down, it is household chores. They never seem to end. You work hard all day and come home to cook dinner, do the dishes, laundry etc. My Husband comes home to mow the lawn, chop wood and other chores outside the house. When it comes to a weekend to spend time together, that is impossible. I would love to have that time together with him." L.J.N., East Haddam

"I would like a personal transport robot, a walking robot capable of perorming the functions of a car, but also possessed of a great deal more mobility." Shawn, Bristol

"Go to work and bring in $200K a year." J.R., Hamden

"I wonder about the gender of the individuals that responded to the robot question, i.e. household chores vs. yard work." A.M., Guilford

"I would use the robot for education purposes." John, Waterbury

"I would have the robot take care of the dog I have been left with that requires eye meds fourtimes a day, foot meds twice and ear meds twice in addition to normal dog care. I AM NOT A DOG PERSON." G.H., No Town

"I would have my robot tell people things that i'm not able to say to people. The voice would be mechanical, so they wouldn't know it was me. For instance if someone at work had bad breath, my robot would tell them. If someone had a bad attitude, the robot would straighten them out." G.W.G., New Haven

"If I had a personal robot, I would want it to help me complete my computer work faster. The robot could be told what I needed and it would complete it faster than I could using a keyboad and mouse." Guy, Monroe

"I'd like the mechanized robot to be seen regularly on commercial TV saying, 'This is a machine, not a human being. There are important differences between us' ... pause ... 'Do you want paper or plastic? Press one if you want this message repeated.'" Me, Darien

Previous survey results are available.