We were promised jetpacks, but instead we got… lamps that fold our laundry?
Remember this guy from Beauty and the Beast? He was very smooth.
Image: IMDB
Well Lumiere is back, but this time he's a consumer robot that lights up your bedroom by night, and folds your laundry by day.
Press play to see the future of chores.
Currently going viral on X, it's made by Syncere AI, which is a company that says it makes "Intelligent furniture that quietly helps with everyday tasks."
The Lume is in Kickstarter mode with a launch date of 2026.
Life comes at you fast, which is why robots, which have long felt like they belonged to the distant future, are increasingly infiltrating our day to day.
And while we consider signing up for the laundry lamp waitlist, we've started to wonder:
What other robots are there that could make our day-to-day lives better?
Robots that make dinner
Some people are Masterchefs. Others have UberEats habits. Then there are those with the will and wallet to outsource the whole thing to robots.
Choose your fighter:
The Moley Robotic Kitchen, a high tech set up of sensors and motors that mimic professional chefs; or
The Posha, formerly known as Nymble: it looks like a fancy coffee machine but cooks dinner for you once you've prepped and inserted the ingredients.
Food is a massive market – while not directly comparable, meal delivery is projected to be a US$2.59 billion market in Australia in 2025, according to Statista, showing people are becoming increasingly comfortable with paying for convenience.
Robots that keep your grandparents company
Tombot is a company that makes emotional support animals. Its founders say it can provide the benefits of owning a real pet, for those who aren't able to take care of live animals.
Its first product to market is Jennie the Tombot, which is designed to look, feel, and behave like an eternal 12 week old puppy.
- Jennie was created as a companion for elderly people - especially those living with dementia - who may no longer be able to care for a pet
- In an AMA on Reddit, the company's founder Tom Stevens said, "At our core, we are a healthcare company. Everything we do must be grounded in science, with empirical data supporting that we meaningfully improve health."
Robots that keep you company
Brought to life via Kickstarter, the LOOI Robot turns your smartphone into a desktop robot that can have ChatGPT-enabled conversations with you, while it scoots around your desk. The makers say it's a 'cute, clever robot and a helpful workmate'.
TechUtopia YouTube Review
Aibi Rocket Pet wearable robot is a robot that does similar things – but you can take it anywhere, so long as you want to be seen in public wearing a robot.
Video: @BenGeskinTech
The purposes of these robots are to keep you company and help fill the void if there are no humans around.
And while it can sound frivolous, loneliness is real. The social isolation and loneliness epidemic is rough on everyone and particularly men – a 2021 Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre report estimated it cost the economy $2.7 billion each year. (So maybe the Government buys us all an AI companion? Just kidding… unless?)
Robots that help us be human
Sometimes when I get sad, I read robot vacuum cleaner reviews online.
"Watching it zigzag its way around furniture like it's solving a maze gives me a strange sense of peace and frankly, a little awe."
"When I bought this robot I immediately started telling everyone that it was one of the best investments I have ever made."
"It literally brings me joy."
It reminds me that for all the fear, hype, and mixed emotions that come with tech advancements – there can always be better days on the horizon.
Like only having to vacuum if you really want to – and otherwise getting your best mate "We call ours Robbie!" to do it.
