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Tondon Robot Autonomous Floor Cleaner

Tondon is an autonomous floor cleaning robot now working at a fancy Bali-themed luxury apartment complex in Tokyo. Who could have predicted that a robot could move from floor to floor cleaning all day long without supervision? Robert Heinlein, that's who, in 1956.

What Hired Girl would do (the first model, not the semi-intelligent robot I developed it into) was to clean floors . . . any floor, all day long and without supervision. And there never was a floor that didn't need cleaning. It swept, or mopped, or vacuum-cleaned, or polished, consulting tapes in its idiot memory to decide which.
(Read more about Heinlein's hired girl robot from The Door into Summer)

No mere iRobot Scooba, Tondon uses an optical communication system to control the building's elevators, moving from floor to floor as needed. Voice warnings let people know Tondon is coming; proximity sensors prevent collisions with people.


(Tondon cleaning robot)

The Tondon robot is also a part-time security guard; its four cameras provide a continuous view of hallways.

Tired of cleaning? Check out these robotic assistants:

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 8/2/2007)

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Related News Stories - (" Robotics ")

Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...' Harry Harrison, 1956.

Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'- Philip K. Dick, 1957.

Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!

Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...' - JW Groves, 1950.

 

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