I love R2-D2!
Between all of his whirrs and chirps, there is a smart robot who does anything for his owner. Almost 50 years ago, George Lucas showed us how great it would be to have a whimsical robot at our sides. It's criminal that I still don’t have my own R2-D2.
R2 is a perfect combination of utility and delight.
He copilots X-wings, hacks Imperial terminals, and smuggles Death Star plans. He is fiercely loyal and consistently takes on immense personal risk for his owners. In sharp contrast, C-3PO is a curmudgeon. His constant naysaying and incessant need to "calculate the odds" are often at odds with our heroes' plans. Who wants a robot whose internal calculator prevents them from getting the job done? R2 is awesome because he stubbornly overcomes most obstacles to complete his mission.
In 2026, the closest thing we have to R2-D2 is a robot vacuum. Roombas are over two decades old, yet I feel very little delight when I inevitably see them get stuck. Matic is the cool, new version of the Roomba. It's excellent at navigating homes. Doesn't get stuck in corners. And babies love riding on top of it.
And yet, every Roomba owner owns a separate vacuum cleaner. Matic is the best in its category, but it still can't lift your bath mat or move your couch. The vacuum cleaner still hasn't been replaced.
Enter the humanoid.
The logic is simple: our homes are built for humans. Build a robot that can do any human action, and it can absorb all of our chores. And the work is well defined: laundry, dishes, vacuuming, mopping, watering plants. Well defined doesn't mean easy. Cleaning a bathroom means recognizing that the bath mat collects dirt, knowing to lift and dust it, cleaning the floor underneath, and putting it back. And if you've been following this space, it's great to see home robotics companies like 1X and Sunday make great progress on a few bounded chores. Sunday already shows Memo clearing tables and loading a dishwasher autonomously. My bet is that by the end of 2027, a home robot will clean a bathroom end to end, bath mat and all.
So what about delight? It may seem the answer is to build a warm, compassionate robot.
It's not.
These robots are not dogs. A dog's utility is its companionship. The robot's job is getting rid of busy work. George Lucas showed us the blueprint. R2's loyalty and "figure it out" personality give his owner the trust that he'll get the job done. A robot working in our homes needs to display these qualities. It needs to know what we want and do it well, every time.
There will be many home robot companies. The one that wins over consumers will be like Apple, not Microsoft. Apple was irrationally committed to a delightful experience. Joy is a part of its ethos. Similarly, the winner will design the robot with magic in mind. The job gets done, the way you want, without any interventions or mistakes. And maybe a few whirrs and chirps to share in the enthusiasm of a job well done.
Laundry means the sheets get tucked in.
Vacuuming means the bath mat gets dusted.
Rescue means Luke is saved from Jabba the Hutt.