On the verge of the new millennium inventors have come up with a new measure of civilisation - the robotic vacuum cleaner.
British firm Dyson has unveiled a press-and-forget cleaner that can negotiate its way around furniture and turn off when approached by pets or children.
If trials in Britaingo as planned, the DC06 - resembling a cut-down version of Star Wars' R2D2 - will be sold here in about six months, at a price of around $6500.
The brainchild of English inventor James Dyson, the DC06 has apparently won a technological race to market robotic vacuum cleaners.
Appliance giant Electrolux developed a robot model a year ago but has yet to put it into production.
Other companies have also developed prototypes.
The cordless, rechargeable DC06 boasts 50 sensory devices and three on-board computers, allowing it to make 16 decisions a second.
When turned on it makes its way to the nearest wall and then starts a "methodical spiral" towards the centre.
Its computer memory allows it to "remember" where it has been and when it has finished a room.
The cleaner has systems which will pause cleaning if a dog or child comes too close, and to prevent it from falling down stairs.
Indeed, stairs - as the Daleks on Dr Who found - and its high price tag may be the only things preventing the DC06 from taking over the household universe.
