The Living Room of the Future, from 1979 (pic)
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Predictions about the future are driven by a mix of what we expect to happen and what we hope will happen. Domestic robots, flying cars, and apps that take natural language commands are dangerous to work on because predictions about them are driven mainly by hope.
There will be a lag in robots in the home before there is a boom. The problem is that manipulating an environment is harder than moving around in it, or even understanding it.
A Roomba can get around, but only the latest version has any idea where it is. Even if it did localization and mapping, it would just be a better vacuum cleaner. Applications available to robots that can move around and know where they are include surveillance, reconnaissance, tele-presence, and most importantly: automated driving. AutoBots will be huge, and soon.
But it will be a long time before robots make you drinks using the tools you use. A robot will sooner recognize my drink is a Gin & Tonic than make it.
- Giant tv's - can't say since they don't define giant, but what with projects and huge flat screens, I'd say it's true.
- Flat screen tvs.
- Video camera - they're wrong about the holographs, but right about electronic cameras.
- video disc player - well... not quite, but pretty close.
- most mail will be sent in electronic form. I think that's true - just that the volume of paper mail didn't diminish.