Can built flat pack
furniture
Boffins are five years away from putting a robot in the shops
which can do a thing that many humans can't - build flat-pack
furniture.
Scottish scientist Jon Oberlander, a computer expert at Edinburgh
University's School of Informatics, said he was close to developing such a robot
in the lab and it would only be a matter of time before such machines were
available in the home.
This means that countless people who have shaky
shelves where the screws have been put into place using a hammer will have
wardrobes that do not fall over. It looks as if the robot will be able to
read the instructions in Swedish where the print is the size of a microdot
too. (Well, Lars could teach it. sub.ed.)
Oberlander said such a robot could not be too strong and would give way
to a human at all times. A general purpose humanoid robot, a real C3PO, a sort
of butler robot who goes around doing things for you and translating languages
would be the best idea.