Robot butlers will be coming to our homes (and for our kids) by 2020

If you’ve been to a Stop & Shop in the past couple of months, then chances are you’ve met Marty, the 7-foot tall robotic googly-eyed nightmare that’s being rolled out in grocery stores across the country. Marty was supposedly created to improve “efficiency issues” but the only thing it does efficiently is “fuel nightmares” – at least in my experience.

Now, imagine a world in which Marty not only helps you with the groceries but cleans your clothes, packs your kids lunches, and picks out your outfits in the morning, slowly gaining your trust until the day comes that Marty’s had enough. Maybe he locks eyes with that pretty wife of yours. Decides he wants to be the man of the house.

Well, that’s where we’re heading thanks to Mira Robotics in Japan, who unveiled its robot butler earlier this year. Yes, you heard that right. Robot. Butler.

Its name is Ugo, and sure, it looks more Wall-E than Mart-y

But that’s always how it starts. Although Ugo’s functionality is currently limited to folding laundry –which is no small feat in itself) – Mira CEO Ken Matsui told The Verge about the big plans he has for Ugo (presumably while rubbing his hand together menacingly.

“I believe remote-controlled robots can provide a variety of help in the home environment,” says Matsui, “like cleaning rooms, cooking preparation, a watching service for elderly people, caring for pets, or for tutoring.”

You know, I always assumed that Rocky 4 would be a parable of our generation, but not like this. Not like this.

Set to launch in 2020, Ugo will set you back about $225 a month for 6 to 8 hours of service. Of course, you can expect that number to go up once Ugo starts using its newly developed parkouring skills to bound across town and snatch up your kids.

What do you think? Do you welcome our new robot butlers? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Jared Jones

Writer. Editor. Barelyknewer. Hate mail can be directed to j j o n e s @ k a r s f o r k i d s d o t e a r t h l i n k