By the same token I don't imagine that further automation in the home will necessarily take an anthropomorphic shape. It'll be things we haven't even thought of yet, tasks we don't appreciate are time sinks or perhaps don't consider to be automate-able. Look at the roomba, for example.
With the housing so limited in places like Tokyo, wouldn't it make more financial sense to get a robot you can store in a closet than hire a live-in housekeeper?
The solution to the healthcare and aging issue is already happening: immigration.
-robot to stack and unstack the dishwasher
-robot wheels to put the garbage bin out for weekly collection
-robot mower to cut the lawn
-robot laundry hamper to take clothes to washing machine when full
-robot to clean kitchen benches and stove-top nightly
http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/stories/study-c...
I guess they were too optimistic on the home robot. Hopefully, they will start to become useful in the next few years. I personally would like to see Microsoft, Google and the other big tech brands launch home robots.