“The more robots there are, the easier it will be to work remotely in ways we haven’t thought about before,” said Hyoun Park, an analyst at technology research firm Aberdeen Group.

Blackwell, who founded Anybots nine years ago after leaving Yahoo! Inc., says the $15,000 QB can inspect warehouses or factories remotely or provide tech support. And security firms are likely to be interested, analysts said.

But eventually, robots could also be used to let consumers preview houses or hotels from afar; to let disabled people virtually visit tourist destinations; and to help fashion experts give sartorial consultations from the comfort of their homes to consumers at clothing stores across the country.