Four of Japan's leading technology companies have joined forces in an effort to transform modern robotics and shape the future.

The companies are getting together to fend off emerging competition from South Korea. But their engineers and designers also have the loftier goal of getting robots into hundreds of thousands of homes around the world so they can help out with everyday activities.

Japanese scientists say future generation robots will be able to clean up, take out the trash, or even care for an elderly parent. Robots are currently out of reach for many people because of prohibitive costs, but designers predict there will come a time when they will be commonplace.

The Japanese companies -- Tmsuk, ZMP, VStone, and Business Design Laboratory Co. -- want to get 30,000 robots into Japanese homes within five years. What's driving research in Japan is that 20 per cent of the population is over the age of 65.

So, it's not surprising that robots are seen as way to care for the aged and replenish the work force. In countries like Canada -- where there aren't enough caregivers to meet demand -- robots, even rudimentary ones, could turn out to be a big seller.

"I think many people would like to have a robot that could help them get up if they fall down, assuming no one else is there," Gregory Dudek, a computer science professor at McGill University told CTV News.

For now, though, scientists admit robots have limited capabilities and mobility. Therefore, they have a relatively small number of everyday uses.

They can complete tasks like "basic cleaning, maybe even lawn mowing -- stuff that basically is tedious (and) repetitive," says Frank Ferrie, a professor at McGill's Centre for Intelligent Machines.

Experts say it's hard to envision robots in the future because the technology is advancing rapidly. They note that two or three decades ago few people would have envisioned that the Internet would become so ubiquitous or that almost everyone would be walking around with a cell phone.

Dudek says it's hard to predict how robots may transform homes, communities, or even society.

"Who knows, it's really hard to read a crystal ball and know what you want when it isn't there," he said.

With a report by CTV's Jed Kahane