Housa - the housekeeper meets Roomba

The idea of robots and AI can seem scary and concerning. Over the years, we have seen robots and AI being more and more incorporated in our lives. Sometimes its in obscure ways, so we do not realise the use of the technology. We like drones, Siri on our mobile phones etc. I believe the fear is about whether robots will take over some human functions/roles and what that entails exactly. As a result, it seems to be fear about its application and the unknown and not the inevitable technological advancement.

I am also wary of robotics but I must admit that I already one. I’ve had a iRobot vacuum cleaner called Roomba, since there invention in 2004. Now I have a third generation one from around 2007 and I still love to use it.

Roomba in action

The Roomba cannot replace a human doing a great job of vacuuming however. It cut corners literally. It cannot get there. However, it does help on a daily basis to remove dust and small debris. The beauty of the Roomba is that it can be programmed to perform its task, while I am away from home. It gets the job done - no questions asked.

As Roomba is old, it’s outdated but I think that is ok. Back in 2020 you might have heard about the Roomba that recorded people in their homes - even using the bathroom. It was a tester with a camera. Luckily, I was not a tester and my Roomba pre-dates that year.

As you might imagine, I don't mind having this small robot in my home. If I could have another robot, it would be a housekeeping robot. Why? The chore of housekeeping is just that - a chore. Housekeeping is never done! I would call the robot Housa. Its main tasks will be ironing and folding up clothes. My pet peeve is folding up clothes - so this would be very “handy” for my family of five.

Now I will be honest, I am a bit freaked out by the robots that are humanoids. As a result, I would like Housa to look nothing like us human beings. It can have a few levers and look like a square machine because that is what it is - a machine. It will be functional. It will take pride of place on it charging station - right next to Roomba.

Roomba on its charger

Housa will not talk to me – we are not friends. There will be no small talk - so no emulation of Siri or Alexa. There will be no eavesdropping and/or sudden announcements or interjections. Once Housa is installed in my home – there will be no interaction with the Cloud. Housa will mind its business and that means focusing on the tasks at hand. In so doing, Housa stays out of trouble. However, when there is an operational problem, Housa will display error messages. Housa will work efficiently as it will be happy with the segregation of duties in my home as Roomba will continue with its important role.

Housa will be a cherished item in our household as it will assist with its orderliness. It will help financially as a human helper will not need to perform these duties. It will also assist with the productiveness of every family member as everyone's time will be used effectively.

Unfortunately, as Housa is still a figment of my imagination - only Roomba can show off here. There might be some inventions out there in the world but none will look like Housa. Housa will reveal itself at the right time. Won't that be great.

This is my reponse to the HiveLearners prompt - Specific Robot.

All photos are my own