In California, another interesting kitchen robot has been developed.
Called the Ready-bot,it can pick up objects and either store them in cabinets or put them in the trash.
It also carries a separate floor-cleaning robot that can operate by itself.
Unlike the Japanese robot, Ready-bot is not human-like.
Instead, it looks more like a large box with arms and wheels.
Clearly there are technological difficulties to overcome before robots can cook a complete dinner,
and there are also many safety concerns.
Not everyone (especially parents) would be comfortable with the idea of robots in their house,
manipulating hot pans and sharp knives.
The European Commission recently funded a project to study these concerns.