Juniper Research: Research shows that highly intelligent robots are more popular with consumers

According to data from Juniper Research, a British market research organization, one in 25 American households currently owns a robot, and it is expected that by 2020, one in 10 American households will own a robot. The report said that warnings that robots will eventually destroy humans may just be a plot in science fiction. The reality is that more and more machines are starting to do the work done by humans. It is expected that within four years, many American families will have their own robots.

Juniper Research makes it clear that robots do not necessarily have to have humanoid appearance, but rather have capabilities that are more suitable for completing specific tasks. The research company also defines its robots as "autonomous, mobile electromechanical machines that are programmable and reprogrammable for domestic or non-commercial use. It can sense and respond to its environment to some extent."

Juniper Research says robots will "open up a whole new era of housework" with products like the Roomba, a disc-shaped vacuum cleaner, and Sprinkler, a garden watering robot developed by Droplet Robotics.

However, many companies are reportedly still developing humanoid robots that can interact with people. Pepper, a humanoid robot from SoftBank, Japan's largest software seller, is one of the most popular, but Juniper Research said the technology has not yet reached maturity.

Juniper Research said: "Despite the improvement in the performance of complex robots like SoftBank's Pepper, there are significant limitations to current technology. Therefore, to meet consumer expectations, we need more intelligent and perceptive robots."

Research by Bank of America Merrill Lynch shows that robotics may evolve into a large industry with a total value of $153 billion by 2020. However, as the robotics industry develops, warnings have been issued from all walks of life, such as Tesla Motors boss Elon Musk and physicist Stephen Hawking, who have warned that artificial intelligence may cause harm.