Rise of the RoboMop! AI machines could be cleaning your floors within a decade - and the price will shock you

At the moment they may exist only in our wildest dreams or in Hollywood science-fiction epics. But humanoid robots that wash dishes, vacuum the carpets, cook and pick up dirty laundry could be available within a decade – and all for the price of a family car. These machines – equipped with hands, arms and legs capable of doing basic household chores – are currently in development around the world. Pulkit Agrawal, associate professor in the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said: 'Silicon Valley companies are promising this year you can buy a robot, but my guess would be more like five to ten years, at least. 'The technology is progressing, but it's good to be realistic that it will take time to deploy.'