Rather, her pet robot has come to the rescue. If there's a problem, it calls for help immediately. After years of hopeful promises, new technology has made the widespread use of robots an imminent prospect. Eager to get a head start in what could become one of the hottest consumer growth markets this decade, industrialized nations are pouring resources into the field of robotics. Now we are seeing some action.
Japan appears to have the edge.
It's already the world's leading manufacturer and user of industrial robots. By 2002, it's expected to have under its belt almost 370,000 industrial robots, compared with 120,000 in the United States and 15,000 in Britain. Government and industry investment runs to hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Japanese developers are doubling their efforts to build an army of robots for entertainment, domestic and professional-services roles. Japan's most recent inventions have come somewhat as a surprise to its global rivals.