[wpietri]

In the short term, I agree. People buy products that solve problems. The human body is not the ideal robotic template for almost any kind of work. The Roomba is excellent proof of that.

But in the long term, I think primate tendency toward dominance means that there's a significant market for people who want to boss around things that can be perceived as other people. I doubt many people want robot buddies, but I'd bet there's quite a market for what are in effect robot slaves.

On the one hand, that seems pretty squicky to me. But on the other, if it keeps them from trying to reduce the freedom of other humans, then godspeed.