According to Forbes, "by the end of the 2020s robots will be as ubiquitous as cellphones today," from robot receptionists to robot waiters. What's even more impressive is how robotics is beginning to revolutionize the medical industry. While they're not replacing our physicians and surgeons entirely just yet, they are alleviating a lot of the task load most physicians go through on a daily basis.

What this entails for the future, however, is something even more incredible. For Shafi Ahmed, a cancer specialist and virtual reality (VR) surgeon pioneer, he envisions a future of robot surgeons, doctors, and nurses operating in every hospital. Until we reach that future, though, Dr. Ahmed is using both VR and augmented reality (AR) to help train potential surgeons into going beyond the perceived limitations of medicine. In his mind, to keep pace with robotic physicians, we need to merge with them with the help of VR/AR.

Today, robots are starting off as assistants. Healthcare company Catalia Health, for example, has a fleet of personal robot companions known as Mabu. The Mabu Personal Healthcare Companion serves as an interactive robot that is tailored to each patient for specific engagement. We've all been to a hospital and waited hours for even the simple greeting gesture of our physician. With Mabu, patients will receive constant engagement whenever needed, allowing doctors and nurses to focus entirely on their work.

Robots and AI are even entering the field of behavioral therapy. Developed by a group of researchers at the Stanford University of California, the chatbot Woebot was created to provide conversation and tips to deal with various different behavioral issues, from depression to anxiety. It accomplishes this by using its artificial intelligence algorithms to track your mood and understand your psyche over time as the conversation progresses. And the cost: only $39 a month.

As for doing hands-on work, thanks to a group of surgeons at the Oxford University John Radcliffe Hospital, last year, the world's first robot eye operation was conducted. Using the Robotic Retinal Dissection Device (R2D2), the surgeons were able to remove a membrane 100th of a millimeter thick from the retina of the right eye of Rev. Dr. William Beaver. As a result, his blindness was cured and was able to regain his eyesight.