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It is just as hundreds of science-fiction books and films have predicted － robots are starting to take over the world! Hundreds of thousands of robotic creatures, of different shapes and sizes, are found in every aspect of our lives. They are working in our factories, cleaning our homes, and even helping in our hospitals. People all over the world are welcoming these machines into their lives and it is predicted that there will be over four million robots in homes worldwide by the end of 2007.

A robot, as you are no doubt aware, is a machine that can move by itself, performing tasks a person would do, and is usually controlled by a computer. Until very recently, the majority of robots have been used for industrial tasks such as working in assembly lines in car factories. They were usually large, heavy and very specialised － each robot was designed and programmed to perform a limited and specific range of tasks and movements. They generally did the tasks that were too difficult or dangerous for humans to do. However, technology has now advanced to such a level that robotics engineers － or roboticists, as they like to call themselves － are able to design robots that are smaller, more intelligent and much better suited for household use.

The Roomba vacuum cleaner is one example of this new breed of household robots. This machine is a small, disk-shaped robot that scoots around the house, cleaning the floor. Its computerised brain calculates the size of the room it must clean, and then works out how long it will take to clean the entire room. After that, it moves around the room, almost at random, following walls and bumping off furniture. Once it decides that it has been cleaning long enough to have covered the whole room, it returns to its base to recharge its batteries for the next cleaning mission. At first glance, the Roomba may not appear very impressive, but it is small, relatively cheap, simple to use, and it works well. These four factors have helped make it the most successful domestic robot in the world today.

That is just one example, however. The Korean Government is investing heavily in the development of network-enabled household robots, including robot maids for the elderly or the handicapped. These robot maids, which it aims to have ready by 2013, will provide health care, as well as help with household chores. For example, the robot will be able to monitor a person's heart rate and blood pressure and send the information to a doctor. If the person falls over and cannot get up, the robot will summon help. In addition, it will be able to perform household tasks such as ordering food from a nearby restaurant, setting and cleaning the table, and even doing all the dishes.

Robots are not only here to serve, however. They can also provide entertainment and companionship. Some play music, read books to children and provide people with access to the Internet without the need for a computer; others have more advanced interactive features. Take Aibo, Sony's robot dog, for example. This virtual pet was commercially released in 1999 and has so far sold nearly 750,000 units worldwide. They can recognise spoken commands from their owners and can be taught to do tricks. Owners even get together to play Aibo football and hold dance competitions for their robotic dogs.

It won't be very long before robots are a normal part of our daily lives. They will no longer be restricted to factory assembly lines and robotics research laboratories. Instead, they will be vacuuming our floors, mowing our lawns, cleaning our windows, ordering our food and washing our dishes. We will use them to access the Internet and play games with our friends. They will take over the most boring, difficult and tiresome chores, leaving us with more time for leisure and relaxation. I am quite sure that the science-fiction writers' fears of the robots going crazy and taking over the world will not become a reality.

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