From robotic pets and digital currencies to virtual reality, some of the biggest innovations were once considered failures.
Before they were in every home, some of the most essential gadgets of today were technological punchlines, too weird, too early, too expensive or just plain bad.
In the ’90s and early 2000s, inventors and engineers dreamed big, but consumer tech often struggled to deliver on its promise.
Whether it was a robotic pet that couldn’t love you back, a vacuum that kept slamming into furniture or a digital currency no one could figure out how to use, many of these innovations failed hard.
