It's been 5 or 10 years from happening for about 50 years

[joham]

All-purpose robots are not, of course, a new vision. "It's been 5 or 10 years from happening for about 50 years," says Eric Berger, co-director of the program.

I'm not clear about what the sentence underlined means. What has been 5 or 10 years, the vision of all-purpose robots?
What has been happening for 50 years, the vision of robots?

Many thanks.

 

[Barb_D]

As long ago as 50 years, people were predicting that these robots were only 5 or 10 years away. Of course it didn't happen. That idea that they are so close to having this technology that it could be as few as 5 years is a very old idea.