Edmonton designed and made the Lee rifle and Bren gun; it gave the BBC its transmitters; and British households their first solid-state colour TVs and dishwashers.
In the future, might there be Xiaomi-linked washing machines, dishwashers, door locks?
It is difficult now to imagine life without electricity, refrigerators, cars, telephones, air-conditioners, railways, dishwashers, and many other everyday appliances that make life in the modern era convenient, comfortable, and more economically productive.
Although domestic use has risen slightly, household appliances, from dishwashers to the much-maligned short-flush toilet, are now so much more efficient that personal water use has stabilised at 100 gallons per person per day.
Stefano Aversa of AlixPartners worries that cars will become commoditised, rather like dishwashers.
"We're building cities," says a delighted UN engineer, putting the finishing touches to "Saudi City", a public housing estate replete with garages, tiled bathrooms and dishwashers that cost its Saudi sponsors $120m.
They duly resisted turning on their dishwashers and so on until 9pm, the magic moment at which the local utility, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), started to charge less.
Dishwashers were found to be particularly effective: the high-temperature spray, splashing against the crockery and cutlery, results in a nasty plume of toxic chemicals that escapes when the door is opened at the end of the cycle.In fact, in many cases, the degree of exposure to toxic chemicals in tap water by inhalation is comparable to the exposure that would result from drinking the stuff.
Fast forward to 1970 and middle-class kitchens in America and Europe feature gas and electric hobs and ovens, fridges, food processors, microwaves and dishwashers.
Many Egyptians, numerous in Milan, are cooks, waiters and dishwashers, while Chinese have their own restaurants and shops.
If so, then surely dishwashers and washing machines do, too.Yet whatever shape or size robots come in, many will be adored.
