Has a robot been invented to help with housework?

Yes! Robots already do a lot of the jobs that humans cannot or do not want to do. In 1986, the Honda Motor Company introduced ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, the most advanced humanoid robot in the world. At 4 feet 3 inches (1.3 meters) high and weighing 119 pounds (54 kilograms), ASIMO is the first humanoid robot in the world that can walk independently and climb stairs. In addition to ASIMO’s ability to walk like humans, it can also understand preprogrammed gestures and spoken commands, recognize voices and faces, and interface with communication cards. ASIMO has arms and hands so it can do things like turn on light switches, open doors, carry objects, and push carts. Rather than building a robot that would be another toy, Honda wanted to create a robot that would be a helper for people—a robot to help around the house, assist the elderly, or help someone confined to a wheelchair or bed. In 2008, researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology unveiled Mahru, a humanoid robot that can dance and do household chores. In some countries, robots have already replaced jobs, like at help desks in a few Japanese businesses.