By Gurpreet Narwan, Consumer Affairs Editor

The days of cleaning up after the children could soon be over as Dyson is developing a household robot that can tidy away toys and find crisps down the back of the sofa.

By 2030, Dyson robots could be completing everyday chores, such as washing dishes, cleaning sofas and tidying away debris. 

It marks a significant development for a company that first made its mark in the Nineties, when it developed Britain’s best-selling vacuum cleaner.

The company is in the midst of its biggest engineering recruitment drive in history, taking on 2,000 people this year alone, as it seeks to beat American rivals in developing humanoid robots that can be used in the home.

It has hired 250 robotics engineers, who have been working on the robot prototypes. The initial models were unveiled at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Philadelphia.

Dyson is also building the UK’s largest robotics research centre at its Hullavington Airfield site in Wiltshire, which is part of a £2.75 billion investment into new technologies and facilities.

The company said: “Dyson is supercharging its robotics ambitions, recruiting 250 robotics engineers across disciplines including computer vision, machine learning, sensors and mechatronics, and expects to hire 700 more in the robotics field over the next five years.

“The master plan: to create the UK’s largest, most advanced, robotics centre at Hullavington Airfield and to bring the technology into our homes by the end of the decade.”

Jake Dyson, the company’s chief engineer, said: “Dyson employed its first roboticist 20 years ago and this year alone we are seeking 250 more experts for our team. This is a ‘big bet’ on future robotic technology that will drive research across the whole of Dyson, in areas including mechanical engineering, vision systems, machine learning and energy storage. 

“We need the very best people in the world to come and join us now.”