Days after Meagan Brazil-Sheehan’s 6-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia, they were walking down the halls of UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center when they ran into Robin the Robot.

Robots may be one of the greatest 21st-century inventions, but up until Oct. 28, you couldn’t purchase one to help out with daily household tasks, such as emptying the dishwasher or vacuuming your ...