I recently read that someone at google compared today's state of robotics with the PC industry of the late 70's early 80's. I can understand that analysis, and while I differ a bit with why it is being said, I somewhat agree.

Back in the 70s and 80s, robotics was HUGE. Everyone was thinking about it. Just about all the startups I can remember had something to do with robotics. Then something funny happened. The "PC" market exploded. Sure, there were business PCs and other types of computers, but home computers were the thing of nerds and hobbyists. When Visicalc and WordStar made the PC a "must have" device, that's when the market for PCs exploded. This stopped a lot of the work on robotics because there was a new, exciting, and potentially profitable industry. And why not? The PC was "easier" than robotics. Now, 25 or so years later, everyone that's gonna have a PC, pretty much has one.

Also in this time line, the DARPA network went public and became the internet. This spawned all sorts of new and exciting business. The internet was even easier still than robotics. A kid in their basement could make a program that sells or set up a web site that makes money.

Robotics is hard. It covers a lot of different types of technology: mechanics, electronics, systems level programming, AI programming, and all the stuff in between. In the earlier decades, computers and the technology infrastructure was far more limited. Getting a robot platform "up and running" was itself a chore and an expense. Today, the computers are really fast and cheap. Robotics is much easier on that front.

The venture capitalists, unfortunately, are like 4 year olds playing soccer. There is no diversity on the field where the players play different positions, no, they are all in a crowd around the ball. This mentality where one "hot" business model starves all others hurts the economy, good ideas go unfunded.

Robotics is hot again. The facebook rage is over. The google rage is passed. Microsoft is largely in decline. Banks and your grandmother are on the Internet. Investors are looking for new ideas again. Lets hope the next hot thing stays robotics for a while.