I've often argued that dishwashers, not roving vacuum cleaners, were the first home robot to see wide adoption. Shut the door, push the button, and dishwashers cycle through several tasks on their own ...

The protagonist of the movie, “Robots,” Rodney, was born to a working-class family, the son of a dishwasher. He was a firm believer in the saying, “You can shine no matter what you’re made of,” ...