Sir James Dyson reveals his firm are entering the race to build an affordable robot that can do chores around the home

Entrepreneur will invest in a new lab at Imperial College London

He said soon a 'new generation of robot' will be available

Sir James is currently competing with Japanese firms

British inventor Sir James Dyson has revealed he is working on an affordable robot to carry out chores around the house.



The entrepreneur said this week he will announce a £5 million investment in a new robotics laboratory at Imperial College London to develop the technology.



Sir James said soon a 'new generation of robot that understands the world around them will be able to clean the house, put out the bins and even keep an eye out for intruders'.

Inventor James Dyson has said he will invest £5million in a new robotics laboratory

Sir James claims his firm currently competing with Japanese rivals to become the first to create an advanced generation of household robots.

Twendy-One, a humanoid robot that can help with housework and nursing care, has already been unveiled by Waseda University in Tokyo and will be on sale within a few years.



It has also been speculated that Google is building an android army after recently acquiring a number of robotic and artificial intelligence companies.

Sir James told MailOnline: 'Domestic use will be the initial focus of the research. What robots need to function in the home is vision and the ability to interact intelligently.'

Last year, Dyson launched a £150million facility full of robots - but Sir James admits they are inefficient: 'They perform precise, highly controlled movements in an environment that doesn’t change.

'In a complex environment – the home or garden – a machine must understand and perceive its environment. Such technology would have wide ranging application. This is a starting point, and we will have to see where it leads - and that is what's exciting.'