Hot wired: Robots to help with the housework

It's the 21st century, so where's my jet-propelled backpack? Where are the undersea cities? Where is the moon base? Where is my robot housekeeper?

Putting aside for the moment the need for flying cars (want, yes; need, probably not), undersea cities and the moon base (we all remember what happened in Space 1999, right?), at least we should have robots to take the work out of our mundane chores, right?

I want a robot that meets me at the door with my slippers, the paper and a margarita. It should have dinner in the oven, the kids in the kitchen doing their homework and, well, you can work out the rest.

Sadly, that's still some way off. However, you can find a robot to take care of some of the more tedious tasks today. Of course, you may not want robots living in your homes, watching your every move, waiting for the perfect time to strike. I, however, welcome our automaton overlords.

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IRobot Roomba Discover SE

It may have trouble with the windows but, frankly, that's all it doesn't do. It knows where your walls are, it avoids stairs, it won't squash the cat (if it bumps into anything soft, it backs up and goes round).

IRobot is into robots in a big way. The company made its fortune selling robots to the US military and is branching out into the domestic bot world.

You can re-charge your Roomba in less than three hours; it will return to base for a top-up if it's getting low on juice, but can be programmed to clean till it drops.

Note for teenagers: the Roomba will focus on stains, working over them to lift the most noxious, appalling gunk without your parents ever finding out about the party you threw while they were away.

The Roomba Discovery also has a remote control so you can lead it to a particular room and set it going.

Price: $420 www.irobot.com

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Electrolux Trilobite

Not to be outdone, Electrolux has packed this beast with more sensors than a hive full of honey bees. It has an acoustic sonar designed to tell it where the corners of your room are, where the cat is and how to avoid things it should not go near. It doesn't worry about dogs, perhaps because they're driven insane by the acoustic sonar, and anyway it looks big enough to take care of itself. It charges in around two hours and then works like a robotic slave for up to 60 minutes before calling it a day.

Set it to clean everything, spot clean or give a once-over lightly, then leave it to its own devices. If you find it snuggling up to your VCR, though, don't call us.

The biggest drawback of the Trilobite is probably its price: expect to pay upwards of $2500 if you can find one.

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Robots and Relax Evolution

If your Roomba or Trilobite takes the pip and decides to overthrow its human masters, you can pick them up and throw them in the rubbish. This beast, however, is not so easily swayed.

The Evolution is the ultimate in automated lawn mowing robotics. It can handle a property up to 3000sq m and has a set and forget feature that means you need never set foot in the garden again.

The Evolution will work for a while, then go and recharge itself, then carry on. If it encounters long grass, it will begin working away at the edge in spiral pattern so it doesn't get stuck. Nice.

The Evolution comes with a perimeter wire that you string around the property so it doesn't go next door to sort out their edges. If it does go mad, flip it on to its back: the blades switch off automatically.

Price: $3500 plus shipping www.robotsandrelax.com