But these tipping points are often false, or at the very least over-reported, as dispatches from academic labs are confused with actual, historic deployments.

2013 was another matter. Robots became synonymous with Google. Robots stole the show on 60 Minutes. Robots were mocked, and were the subject of more mock-terror, arguably, than in any other year in recent memory. And even when they weren’t news, robots and their makers made surprising progress towards supplanting and supporting humans. Fictional bots contributed, too, as manufactured good guys (and one very charming girl) proved that even Hollywood can take a break, however brief, from vilifying machines.

From the highs to the lows, to the stories that simply did not compute, this is what robotics looked like in 2013. These trends are by no means comprehensive or ranked, but comments are enabled, so feel free to add your own picks for the year's biggest bot-related breakthroughs and setbacks.