Robots may become commonplace in daily life within the next 15 to 30 years, potentially serving as butlers and handling household chores, according to author Joel Levy.
Levy, who holds degrees in molecular biology and psychology and has authored numerous popular science books, explores this vision in his latest work, "Breakfast With Robots." He posits that as long as humans can perform tasks more cheaply than robots, automation will be limited. However, he anticipates advancements, such as the potential use of fluidic artificial muscles in robotic hands and fingers.
The book outlines scenarios like nanobot mouthwashes programmed to clean teeth and gums, and autonomous "roboslugs" that would clean shower tiles and grout, feeding debris into bioreactors for power. Levy suggests these cleaning bots, once installed, would require no further human intervention.
Levy also touches on transportation, suggesting that commutes could be drastically shortened, with destinations like Singapore potentially being only 40 minutes away via rocket travel. While he supports the idea of driverless cars, he expresses skepticism about the widespread availability of jetpacks, citing their high cost, safety concerns, limited usability, and the need for special training.
"Breakfast With Robots" is described as a sober and thoughtful book that allows readers to contemplate the future. Levy suggests that in the future, AI might even handle much of human thinking.