A child-like robot. Wakamaru, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan and combining the roles of nurse, companion and security guard, will soon be in the market to look after the growing number of old people with no one to look after them. Cameras fixed under the "eyebrows" of the robot enable it to "see" as it moves around in a house. The images can be sent to the latest mobile phones, which can show the pictures. Wakamaru speaks with either the voice of a boy or a girl. It is also designed to provide companionship, saying hello to its "papa" when he comes home. Based on a vocabulary of around 10,000 words, it is the first household robot which is able to hold simple conversations. It can not only speak, but also understand answers and react accordingly. It will ask "Are you all right?" if its owner doesn't move for some time. If the answer is no, or there is no answer, it will telephone preset numbers, send images and work as a speakerphone. It can recognize up to 10 faces and be set to tell forgetful people when it is time to take medicine, eat and sleep. However, like most robots, it cannot climb stairs. Mitsubishi developed Wakamaru from robots which have already been made to go around nuclear power facilities."Looking at the ageing of society and the falling birth rate we decided that this could work as a business. We want to offer it as a product that helps society,"said the project chief. The developers plan to sell the robot from April this year at between5,000 and 6,000 pounds. The life expectancy (寿命) of Japanese women has shot up to almost 85, the highest in the world. At the same time, large families are being replaced bynuclear families. This has left many Japanese anxious about their elderly parents. Therefore, the technology has gained nation-wide publicity in Japan. |