Robots 101

For most of history, a well-maintained home required either exhausting personal effort or the wealth to hire help. That is starting to change. Robot vacuums, robot mowers, air quality monitors and smart thermostats are no longer isolated gadgets — they are the first members of a coordinated household staff that handles the background work of home life so you can focus on the people in it. Robots 101 explores what that shift means for your weekends, your peace of mind, your family's health and the way your household actually feels to live in. Each article stands on its own. Together, they paint a grounded, honest picture of what domestic robots can do for ordinary families — today, and in the years just ahead.