Do you guys remember those robotic vacuum-cleaner commercials from several years back where customers enthuse, “I love robots!”? Well, allow me to geek out here for a minute, because I really do love robots. I was an early adopter of the vacuuming robot, and, several model upgrades later, I can’t imagine life without this little floor-cleaning miracle machine. I can’t see myself ever going back to an upright.

My love for my own little household robot is just one reason why I was thrilled to work on our Robots at Home book (cover pictured). In addition to vacuuming robots, this book covers all kinds of techno-wonders that make our day-to-day lives easier, such as:

· floor-scrubbing robots, which render mops totally unnecessary

· pool-cleaning robots—because who ever dreamed of spending a perfectly lovely day scrubbing off a swimming pool’s grimy floor and sides?

· lawn-mowing robots. These little robotic helpers just might even convince me to move into a home with a lawn someday (because, let me just tell you guys, that’s never gonna happen if it’s me who has to do the mowing).

· alarm-clock robots, which launch themselves right off your nightstand and roll around on the floor, making noise until you get out of bed to turn them off   

· therapy robots, which keep people calm in stressful situations and can provide comfort to senior citizens in assisted-living settings

In addition to the marvels named above, Robots at Home covers many other types of household robots and talks about the exciting robotic developments that scientists are working on now. If this book doesn’t make a robot lover out of you, then…well…I just might trade in my vacuuming robot! (Then again, maybe not.)