‘Consumer Robots,’ which includes Smart Toys, Educational Robotics/Hobby Kits, Hobbyist Robots, Home Care/Lawn Care Robots, Home Healthcare Robots and Personal Robots, are robotic technology products that are purchased by an individual for use in the home.

Here are the results of a survey addressed to the readership of Electronic House magazine and ElectronicHouse.com, a leading publication and online presence targeting consumers looking for information on home technology and products, found:

• As a group, selection factors for consumer robotics products that are related to actual performance of the devices—‘Robustness,’ ‘Works as Advertised,’ ‘Solves a Problem,’ and ‘Ease of Use’—are ranked the highest.
• $150 was the maximum amount a majority of respondents would pay for a Robotics Smart Toy, a class of product that results when mobility and intelligence are added to traditional toys and form factors.
• Robotics Trends believes educational robotics to be a massive opportunity in the consumer robotics space. Robotics adoption in the classroom will follow a pattern similar to that of PCs in the late 70s and early 80s, with robotics becoming incorporated into grade school, high school and university level educational curricula throughout the industrialized world.
• There is little differentiation among selection criteria for Hobby Robots, that class of consumer robotics product, usually in a humanoid form factor, that can be purchased as a kit or fully assembled and are often used in competitions.
• Robotic home care/lawn care products must work as well, but not necessarily better, than existing solutions, and do so in a manner that is convenient and saves time.
• Pricing for the advanced functionality found in Personal Robots was not refl acted in the survey responses. The pricing responses are a refl ection of the primitive state of Personal Robots at this time.

Learn more about the results of this survey, download this report.