As our lives become more automated, the consumer robotics industry is only set to grow. But something is holding the market back – people find it difficult to trust these machines, especially in their homes and offices. Why do they make us uneasy, and what will convince people to trust robots?

In 2015 the UK government announced a £20 million fund to develop driverless cars. The aim is simple – make driving easier, improve safety, cut congestion and reduce pollution. The automated car industry is set to be worth £900 billion by 2025, but are people ready to take their hands off the wheel?

The number of people using messaging apps is set to hit two billion by 2018, so it’s no wonder brands want to get in on the action. Major tech players are touting chatbots as the next big thing, but can they really revolutionise online interactions, or are they just part of an industry-driven pipe dream?

Futurologists – those allegedly able to predict the future – are in high demand from newspapers and major companies keen to see into the coming years. Yet the vast majority of predictions are wrong. What's the appeal of future-gazing? And what might mobilise our visions into the present?