5 robots that want to lend a hand

Bossa Nova Robot CEO Martin Hitch promises people that his company will build the 21st-century version of Rosie the Robot from the TV series The Jetsons. His Pittsburgh company recently developed a prototype robot called the Mobi, which uses "ballbot" technology in which the robot balances and moves using sphere bottom rather than wheels. The idea: the robot can better get through tight spaces and maneuver around toys and other objects. By 2014, the company will introduce a robot that uses this technology to help out with household chores and eventually, those bots will respond to voice commands and gestures, says Hitch. Think: a robotic extension of your iPhone. Instead of looking at your phone or asking Siri for the weather forecast, you just chat up your robot.

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