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If you read the post, the point is made that a defense contractor is a more likely takeover candidate in the near-term. But five years from now, why wouldn't a forward looking guy like Steve Jobs, or even Bill Gates, turn their attention to home robotics?

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Because the business of building robots has nothing to do with building OSes or media players? How about that for a start?

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I see home robotics as the natural progression of computing into the home. A world where your iPad, your phone, your computer, your TV and your home robots are all connected. It's very limiting to think of home robots as just a vacuum cleaner. The vision is for a family of robots taking care of you and your home — doing chores, providing entertainment, doubling as a security guard, keeping an eye on grandma and making sure she's taking her pills. The iPad makes all this so much easier than pre-iPad, because it can be the face and brains of the robot, and you just need a chassis to attach it to. There's so much potential just waiting for somebody with deep pockets and vision to get it done.

The problem is that there are toys and vacuum cleaners and not much else. It will be at least a few years before we have another compelling category of home robot. You should strive to understand the reasons for these short term limitations.

But the net effect is that it is very much only vacuums for at least a few years.

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