Take a task for which mobile robots are often proposed (e.g., carpet vacuuming). Estimate the financial cost associated with having the task performed by a human for a 5-year period. Estimate the cost...

Take a task for which mobile robots are often proposed (e.g., carpet vacuuming). Estimate the financial cost associated with having the task performed by a human for a 5-year period. Estimate the cost associated with developing and supporting a robotic solution for this task. (Note that many platform companies have the retail prices of their hardware on the Web.) Does it make economic sense to build an autonomous robot for this task? What assumptions would have to change in order for the robotic system (or the human system) to be more cost effective?