Photo-illustration: IEEE Spectrum; Roomba image: iRobot In this guest post, Joe Jones, the inventor of the Roomba, argues that home robots will follow computers into the shadows.

How many computers do you own?

If you picked a number close to three (say, laptop, tablet, and smartphone) youre way off. The answer is probably dozens. There are computers in your car, in your appliances, in your thermostat, and maybe even in your light bulbs. Every year the number goes up.

Today, visible computers are just the slimmest tip of the iceberg. Most computers are hidden away, quietly performing their jobs without you even being aware of the work they do for you. Thats as it should be. You have no interest in the computers themselves, you just want certain tasks done.

Cute, social robots currently get a lot of press, but are these engaging devices early emissaries of our robotic future? Are we entering an era where no one would dream of living without a cheerful electromechanical companion? In my view, companion robots offer novelty over utility, but once the novelty wears off, its only utility that people will pay for.

Rather than being front and center, home robots, I believe, will follow computers into the shadows. Why? Because people dont want robots. (I say this despite 30-plus years as a practicing roboticist.) Consumers want a spotless floor; not a machine buzzing around underfoot. Every morning, you want to find your dresser filled with clean clothes; you have no need to socialize with a laundry-bot no matter how exuberant it may be. People want the things a robot can do for them; the robot itself may just get in the way.

Acknowledging that consumers dont love robots the way we do might help roboticists build better products. The robot, I think, should not be an end in itself but instead should be the simplest, most cost effective way to deliver what our customers truly want. Furthermore, if a proposed robot is not the simplest, most cost effective solution to a problem consumers want solved, then we shouldnt build that robot.

In the fairytale of the shoemaker and the elves, the shoemaker awakens each morning to find that his work is done. Discovering how the work was accomplished requires effort on the part of the shoemaker. This, I think, is good inspiration for robot developers.

Home robotics hasnt achieved that happy ideal yet. We can program Roomba to emerge and work when no one is home, but its still necessary to empty the dirt compartment and clean the brushes. My newest robot, Tertill, which is available on Kickstarter, is another step in the direction of invisibilitydelivering a weed-free garden with almost no attention from the gardener.

I look forward to the day when the logistics of home life will simply run smoothly and no one need trouble themselves with the details. Unless they want to.

Joe Jones is co-founder and CTO of Franklin Robotics, which is developing a solar-powered garden-weeding robot named Tertill. Previously, he was co-founder and CTO of Harvest Automation and a senior roboticist at iRobot, where he was the co-inventor of the Roomba vacuuming robot. Follow him on Twitter: @JoeRobotJones

IEEE Spectrums award-winning robotics blog, featuring news, articles, and videos on robots, humanoids, drones, automation, artificial intelligence, and more. Contact us:e.guizzo@ieee.org

Sign up for the Automaton newsletter and get biweekly updates about robotics, automation, and AI, all delivered directly to your inbox.

What problems do engineers need to crack before they can deliver the proverbial Rosie the Robot? 13Jan2016

Tomorrows robots will become true helpers and companions in peoples homesand heres what it will take to develop them 29May2014

Google, Microsoft, and Apple are investing in robots. Does that mean home robots are on the way? 2Jan2014

The French company worked in secret for two years to create Pepper. Now Japanese telecom giant SoftBank is ready to sell it to consumers 26Dec2014

Most people think they intuitively know the answer. But when pressed for details, they often stumble 13Dec2011

The famed MIT roboticist is launching a crowdfunding campaign to bring social robots to consumers 16Jul2014

The inventor of the Roomba tells us about his new solar-powered, weed-destroying robot 6Jul

With an easy-to-use interface based on MIT's Scratch, you can command Cozmo to do complex tasks without any programming experience 26Jun

Clever little cubes automate robotic craft projects for kids 13Jun

Billed as a Replacement for Man, the Hughes Mobot combined strength with a delicate touch 26May

At-home telepresence gets significantly more affordable, although it's still not cheap 13Apr

Giving a Roomba a tail makes it easy for humans to understand its "feelings" 16Feb

One day, robots like these will be scampering up your steps to drop off packages 9Feb

Take a walk, a jog, or a bike ride with 19 kg of stuff autonomously following you 2Feb

A $35 kit turns a little legged robot into an autonomous interactive critter 24Jan

Your weekly selection of awesome robot videos 13Jan

With an endearing design and a projector in its butt, Mykie is here to help you cook 11Jan

Many of the social robots introduced at CES look similar. Are they all copying Jibo? 6Jan

A Bosch-backed startup introduces a cute little mobile robot 3Jan

For this radio-controlled lawn mower, the garden of tomorrow never arrived 22Dec2016

Follow this link:

Why I Think Home Robots Will Become Invisible - IEEE Spectrum