Service robots - the end of the beginning?

This paper takes a critical look at the progress of the commercialisation o f service robots. For over 20 years researchers and developers have been tr ying to develop robots for service or household applications. So far the fo recast market potential has not been achieved. Service robots through the n ature of their target applications are highly price sensitive and up to now the cost of sensors and controllers has proved prohibitively expensive. Th e commitment of Siemens to the development of a general purpose controller for mobile robots may provide industry with a much needed standard platform on which to develop commercial systems, but these need to became more user than developer orientated.