Machines already complete tasks more quickly and accurately than people can in factories and hospitals, but they are either pre-programmed or require constant control. The power of robotic systems lies in the way environmental information is interpreted and used for automatic control with very limited human instructions.
Demonstrations like the “A-Pod” may not be very autonomous or solve any real-world problems, but they do showcase the level of sophistication achievable at home. The garage tinkerer needs to understand a great deal about electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and software — fortunately there are extensive resources available online. You can even find complete college courses from MIT on YouTube. Time to start creating!