Robot vacuums 'could water plants or play with cat'

Robot vacuums 'could water plants or play with cat' 54 minutes ago Share Save Graham Fraser Technology Reporter Share Save Getty Images Some cat owners would argue the robot vacuum already plays with their feline friends, but perhaps unintentionally Scientists have reprogrammed a robot vacuum cleaner to help charge a phone and assist in a home workout because they think the machines are currently too "idle". Researchers from the University of Bath say the increasingly popular domestic appliances are, on average, in use for less than two hours per day, but could be working considerably harder - with some modifications. To prove their point, they retrained a Roomba device to carry out a range of other chores, and outlined many more possible tasks it could do such as playing with a cat and watering the plants. Such robots "are perceived as limited, single-task devices but there is a strong argument that they are under-used for practical tasks", said Yoshiaki Shiokawa, the author of the ... Read full article.