9 Surprising Places Robots Will Soon Turn Up

Robots working in factories, on the battle field, in hostage situations and in many other places are commonplace today.

(Image credit: Courtesy Savioke)

Robots working in factories, on the battle field, in hostage situations and in many other places are commonplace today. (See all the robots Kiplinger has introduced you to in years past—in 6 Fields Where Robots Are Taking Charge and 8 Robots That Will Change Your Life.)

But it may surprise you to learn about the rapid development of humanoid robots and other intelligent machines that will soon pop up in places you might not expect—from the hair salon and corner bar to the dairy farms that produce your milk.

Such robots may not quite rise to the level of “synths,” the fictional human-looking robotic servants starring in the summer science-fiction series Humans, but they’re amazingly handy and may eventually be as ubiquitous in our lives as smartphones.

Check out these nine robotic assistants (most fresh on the market, some still in development) designed to make our lives easier and make businesses more efficient in a number of surprising ways.

John Miley
Senior Associate Editor, The Kiplinger Letter

John Miley is a Senior Associate Editor at The Kiplinger Letter. He mainly covers technology, telecom and education, but will jump on other important business topics as needed. In his role, he provides timely forecasts about emerging technologies, business trends and government regulations. He also edits stories for the weekly publication and has written and edited e-mail newsletters.

He joined Kiplinger in August 2010 as a reporter for Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, where he wrote stories, fact-checked articles and researched investing data. After two years at the magazine, he moved to the Letter, where he has been for the last decade. He holds a BA from Bates College and a master’s degree in magazine journalism from Northwestern University, where he specialized in business reporting. An avid runner and a former decathlete, he has written about fitness and competed in triathlons.