The force driving the development of personal robots– and what will eventually create demand for them in the marketplace — is aging baby boomers, who will be increasingly unable to care for themselves or their homes.

Robot experts predict that a decade from now, boomers might buy a specialized R2D2-like robot to clean the kitchen and another health care ‘bot to monitor vital signs and make sure pills are taken. Yet another robot — built more like a skinny, five-foot-tall human — might specialize in fetching things from shelves or the basement, making life easier and reducing chances for falls.