Way back in the stone age, there was a cartoon known as “The Jetsons.”
Those of us who recall it are most likely to fondly ponder “why haven’t we gotten our flying cars yet?”
But there’s one techno-toy showcased during just about every episode that could well play a role in your future: the cleaning robot.
Now Rosie the Robot was diligent, wise, and efficient in keeping the household spic and span. Sadly, there’s nothing quite as comprehensively advanced available these days – there is, however, a pretty darned good robot vacuum.
And, according to FastCompany.com, after nearly two decades of marketing their “Roomba,” iRobot is moving beyond hardware to gain an edge on their competition with a massive upgrade of their products’ AI software.
Where before, the basic operation of a Roomba was to turn it on and let it roam willy-nilly about the home, the goal is to make the devices “smarter” and to increase the ability of the customer to fine-tune where, when, and how the robot works. A few of the new features on the drawing board include:
- Enabling users to identify “high-messy” areas of the home – like underneath tables, etc. – so Roomba can be targeted to clean those places, rather than the entire house.
- Manually setting up routines for cleaning a sequence of specific rooms or areas—for instance, going after the places that wind up a disaster after dinner.
- Roomba’s app can suggest additional cleaning based on environmental factors, such as allergy season or when your pets are known to shed more.
The basic idea with these and other software-based upgrades is that – like Rosie the Robot – these devices will increasingly interact with their owners to provide a more customized experience.
I see nothing at all wrong with this approach. After all, when it comes to financial planning, you want that kind of personalized attention. For your free 15-minute call, contact us at 513-563-PLAN (7526) or book online today.
Regards,
Nikki Earley, CFP®
