By Tania Ketenjian

Though robotics engineers have yet to create a droid with C3-PO’s intelligence, they have produced an unusually savvy kitchen appliance. In this piece, Thomas Benson, director of the Readybot Project, introduces us to Readybot, a robotic kitchen aid that represents the most recent leap made in robotics engineering. Covered in tiny cameras and foam padding to allow it to move around the room with care, Readybot is able to collect and wash dishes, clean surfaces, and put away groceries in the refrigerator. Not bad for a metal box with arms.

Benson tells us that for Readybot to really catch on, popular expectations of what a robot should be able to do will need to be lowered—at least for now. As we listen to him whirl around the test kitchen, though, one wonders what other household chores will soon be added to his to-do list.