A
domestic robot, or
service robot, is an
autonomous robot that is used for
household chores. Thus far, there are only a few limited models, though speculators, such as
Bill Gates, have suggested that they could become more common in the future. Many domestic robots are used for basic household chores. Others are educational or
entertainment robots, such as the
HERO line of the 1980s. While most domestic robots are simplistic, some are connected to
WiFi home networks or
smart environments and are
autonomous to a high degree. There were an estimated 3,540,000 service robots in use in 2006, compared with an estimated 950,000
industrial robots.