Primitive Versions Toil Away Today : Robots--Perfect Servants of Future

You’re at a party, imbibing a little more than you should. Suddenly, as if straight out of “Star Wars,” a little mechanical man wheels up to you, drinks and hors d’oeuvres in hand.

Whirr! Click! “Would you like some refreshments?” it asks in your host’s voice.

Checking to recall just how many drinks you’ve really had, you reply sheepishly, “Yes,” and you grab some cheese and crackers.

Beep! Whirr! The little guy wheels away to the next group of guests in the adjacent room.

Personal Robots Here

An impossible scenario? Not really. While primitive in comparison to their expected counterparts in the near future, personal robots are here to stay, their makers say.

“We’re convinced that the presence of a robot in every home is no longer science fiction, but an inevitable fact that will be occurring in the not-too-distant future,” said Lou Gostinger, senior product manager for Tomy Corp., marketers of a line of robots.

Tomy’s latest introduction, the Omnibot 2000, will grasp and carry objects, move in two speeds over any floor surface, greet visitors at the door, pour and serve beverages and snacks and wake you up on time in the morning while playing your favorite song on its cassette deck. It will even pull the covers off to make sure you are awake.

And, at 5 p.m., it will enter your child’s room and remind him or her to set the table.

With on-board cassette decks and separate handsets, this and many other robot creations--which range in price from $300 to about $500--can be programmed or operated by remote control.

Non-Operational Frenzy

Testing has determined the only drawback. Multiple robots (three in this case) controlled by remote handsets will drive each other into a non-operational frenzy because the radio frequencies on which they work are so close.

In the future, Omnibot 2000 and other robots will be outfitted with infrared sensors that will allow them to move around without bruising their little fingers by crashing into objects. These sensors also will be able to detect the presence of any moving object, such as an intruder, in the room and silently notify police.

Robotics experts claim that in many of our lifetimes, these little wonders will do just about everything. Homes will be spotless, and cars will never be in disrepair. Pets will be fed and walked whether or not you’re available to care for them. Plants will be watered, meals planned and lights turned on and off at prescribed intervals throughout the evening.

“People want mechanical servants to perform all the tedious jobs around the home that nobody likes to do,” said Mike Higgins, author of “A Robot in Every Home.”

“It may take 20, 50 or 100 years, but we will eventually succeed in mass-producing fully functional mechanical servants.”

Teaching Aid

Robotics companies already are succeeding in producing this valuable teaching aid, Gostinger said.

The Santa Monica Police Department has programmed Tomy’s Omnibot to assist in educating children on earthquake preparedness. The Orange County, N.J., Sheriff’s Department uses an Omnibot nicknamed “Sherlock Holmes” to instruct children in the basics of crime prevention and safety. And a sixth-grade teacher in Birmingham, Ala., has a robot as a teacher’s aide.

As robot technology continues to advance, the little bright-eyed wonders will become more and more compatible with computers.

The first viable link between them and computers is available from Computer Magic in Planview, N.Y. Dubbed RobotLink, the software package will enable a home computer operator to program the movements and functions of Tomy’s Omnibot or Verbot home entertainment robots, then store the programmed functions.