But as with all technologies, no matter how sophisticated, companies need to develop a clear sense of purpose first and do some pruning of their data landscapes before unleashing the robots.

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Because of technological hurdles and expense, it will be some time before robots are as common in the office as, say, Skype.

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How long, I wonder, before Google also gets into the lucrative business of building robots (or "cybernetic individuals, " in the parlance of Weyland) which, one Silicon Valley utopian believes, should take all of our jobs in the future.

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Everyone around me seemed like automatons, robots, without the affect I was used to from before the accident.

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Dr McLean envisages that one day, before buying robots for its factory, a company may buy virtual ones from the suppliers' catalogue for a nominal fee.

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The robots they make are used to explore water and sewage pipes, and find leaks and breaks before they become expensive problems.

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