Science fiction often has warnings for the future. The most famous is George Orwell's 1984 which, while most wouldn't call it science fiction, definitely got a lot right about what the future holds for the world.
Many iconic sci-fi films feature robots gone wrong: 2001: Space Odyssey, Alien, Terminator. There are countless others that would warn us of the dangers of Artificial Intelligence that is too smart.
But they didn't consider one important thing: robots can mow lawns.
I will gladly swear fealty to the thing that saves me from my most hated chore of the summer. I'm fed up with sweltering heat, buzzing flies and pokey branches that seem to always take a pound of flesh when I try to worm my mower in between them.
There is always someone who swears they have the best method of mowing a lawn, whether it be on an angle, around in circles, or just making your son do it, but this new method has to be the best.
iRobot, the company that brought us Roomba, the robot that vacuums for us, is now bringing us a robot to mow our lawns.
All hail, Terra, the robot mower.
The Terra Robot Mower promises to be easy-to-use and effective, according to the iRobot website.
Ealier Roomba models bounced around living rooms, sucking up dirt and mites and Lego pieces as it careens off of walls and furniture. The collision mechanism seemed vital to the function of the robot vacuum. The robot mower won't be able to do that, so what keeps it from mowing your neighborhood's lawns?
Imprint Smart Mapping technology will be part of any Terra Robot Mower experience. It's installed without digging or boundary wires and will allow you to even "customize mowing preferences."
The website brags that the mower will use the technology to exploit "straight line navigation" to make it the most efficient mow possible. Sir, yes sir.
They say a beta version of the robot will be available in the United States this year.
Their product page does finish with what might seem like a warning to the Isaac Asimovs of the current day:
"With the Terra robot mower, iRobot is building upon its ecosystem of connected robots and technologies that allow a home to maintain itself - inside and outside."
I for one, welcome our robot overlords.