Robots closer to becoming a part of everyday life

Washington

FOR decades robots have won the affection of humans in pop culture - whether it was R2-D2 in Star Wars or Rosie the Robot in The Jetsons. But as popular as these machines have been on screen, we haven't seen similar robots enter our everyday lives.

Now that appears on the verge of changing as the technology sector increasingly invests in robotics. Funding to private robotics companies doubled in 2015 to reach a record high of US$587 million, according to CB Insights.