Helpful robot to go on sale

[chris]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4196052.stm

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is set to release this robot on the market to serve as a "helper" around the house. The robot can also reportedly monitor the condition of a sick person.

But, the future could present even more human like robots, as this prototype demonstrates:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4714135.stm

However, I want to know how Wakamaru, the first robot seen above will deal with stairs. (Edit: Appears it doesn't, yet).

Here is Wakamaru's website:

http://www.mhi.co.jp/kobe/wakamaru/english/

These Japanese robots are quite remarkable, as I'm sure others who've met Asimo (Hondas robot) will testify. Asimo is quite intelligent.

[Frank N. O.]

Totally wild. I also now found links to a Robonaut for NASA as well, hmmm, I,Robot anyone? :D

Frank

[chris]

Such a robot I would find rather helpful. If only there were something like it that might be able to take calls when I'm busy. It'd be so useful, or to sternly deal with nuisance telemarketers.

And there are times when you just totally forget something completely. Looks like Japan wants to make our lives much easier - and increase their bank balance while doing so. ;)

[VQ]

Based on Movie's like I Robot, bicentenial Man, Terminator etc, I don't want a machine to replace a humans jobs around the house, all it will mostly do is make lazy people even lazier....

[chris]

I did further investigation of its website and the functions it has seem wild! :eek: The fact that it recognises who you are, and when you have departed, and will then keep watch on your house and report anything it considers suspicious, like if it sees people it doesn't know - that's quite wild.

It could very well be programmed to just sit still, make no noise, appearing dead and just watch intruders as they break into your house, taking photos and video of them while they commit their crime, and then reporting the whole lot to authorities, while also notifying you.

And also wild is the fact that it isn't silly enough when it has low battery power to go too far from its recharging station. It won't get itself stuck without power.

Also amazing is that it can take the initiative to do tasks without you needing to tell it what to do - that is good.

And possibly the very best feature, is that if it doesn't see it's owner for a certain period of time, and can find no valid reason for that to happen, it will come looking for you. The possibilities of that could be life saving. Imagine if it were to come looking for you, and then found you collapsed or very ill, it would be able to call emergency services and then let them in when they arrive. It could very well save your life.

Thinking of those possibilities, and they could theoretically be possible really makes the price of ¥1,500,000 (about US$15,000) seem worth it.