You should be prepared for this question during the interview for a robot programmer position. Not only should you think about this before the interview, but you may also want to do some research by reading industry blogs and articles to see what the pundits are predicting over both the short and long-term going forward. You may even want to make some notes about this and bring them to the interview. Interviewers normally have no problem with you using notes during an interview and are likely to interpret this as an indication that you know how to prepare.

"While it is difficult to predict the future, there are some elements I foresee occurring in the field of robotics during the next several years. These include the expansion of the use of robots in fields including retail, manufacturing, medicine, customer service, and even restaurants. Other developments I anticipate include more efficient robotic devices that use technology, including microprocessors, miniature electronic components, and nanotechnology. The final development is that robots will become more human-like and more capable of mimicking human movement, behaviors, and emotions."