[artisin]

At long last, a personal robot that can shatter my Waterford glassware and then clean up all the pieces! Sure, it moves like something out of a nightmare, but it makes sense that much of its marketing is aimed at seniors. It's a large and growing market, and the need is undeniable, given that few can afford a full-time caregiver. And from that perspective, the $20,000 price tag almost feels like a steal.

A human-knitted marvel that does it all. From telling cayenne apart from paprika to cleaning your toilet.... well, maybe. From what I can tell, it can flush but not wipe, so you'll still want to budget for a bidet.

Technically, it makes Level-5 autonomy look straightforward. At least roads have rules and standards; household bathrooms, not so much. But let's gloss over that, because I want to know more about the legal agreement you'll have to sign. IANAL, but I expect something akin to a carpet-bombing of blanket disclaimers: no liability for direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive, or other damages—including injuries or loss of life—or really anything else that could go wrong, such as losing your mail, opening your door to assist in a robbery, setting your house on fire, flooding it, or sending your banking information to a Nigerian prince. Too bad iRobot never got around to explaining the legal side of things, but there's always hope for iRobot 2.