Japanese Robot Receptionists For Hire

ROBO SPACE

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. has said that it has started renting out its "wakamaru" robots (pictured) to work at the front desk of offices, hospitals and other places in need of the humanoid touch.Photo courtesy AFP.

by Staff Writers
Tokyo (AFP) June 14, 2007
Wanted: new receptionist. Must have wheels, sensors and face recognition technology. Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Thursday that it had started renting out its "wakamaru" robots to work at the front desk of offices, hospitals and other places in need of the humanoid touch.

The robot, which is one metre (three feet) tall and weighs 30 kilogrammes, is available to rent for a mere 120,000 yen (1,000 dollars) a day for up to five days, although the daily price drops to 20,000 yen for three weeks to a month.

The bright-yellow robot recognises about 10,000 words necessary for daily life and can speak basic sentences and move around on its own at one kilometre an hour, avoiding any obstacles in its path. It is unlikely to call in sick.

Mitsubishi already put the robot on sale in 2005 with a 1.575 million yen (13,000 dollars) price tag, and it have been used at dozens of events including the 2005 World Expo in central Japan.

Japan leads the world's robotic industries in fields ranging from manufacturing to entertainment and security. Robot use is expected to grow as Japan grapples with labour shortages due to an ageing and shrinking population.

Last October a Japanese hospital introduced a trio of robots produced by another company to work as a receptionist and porters.

Source: Agence France-Presse

Email This Article

ROBO SPACE

Japanese Researchers Help Robots Brush Up Communication Skills

Tokyo (AFP) June 13, 2007
Japanese researchers said Wednesday they had developed a new system that would allow robots to learn their own communication skills and conversation patterns. The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology said the system, which it described as a world first, allows robots to move beyond recognition of only certain nouns to understand even ambiguous phrases.

ENERGY TECH Chinese Officials Say Ditch The Suit And Slash Energy Use Alternative Energy Comes Closer With Advances In Hydrogen Fuel Cell Sealing Technology Russian Utility Eyes 700-Million-Euro Kyoto Windfall Spanish Fenosa To Invest In Latin American Renewables	CIVIL NUCLEAR Thousands Of Protestors Rally Against Indonesian Nuclear Plant Thailand To Build First Nuclear Plant Wyle And ARES Corporation Sign Teaming Agreement To Pursue Nuclear Energy Industry Business NGO Warns Of Explosion Risk At Russian Nuclear Storage
BLUE SKY AIRS Global Map Of Carbon Dioxide From Space Widespread Twilight Zone Detected Around Clouds Rand Says Further Study Warranted On Save The World Air Technology Noxious Lightning	WOOD PILE Human Activities Increasing Carbon Sequestration In Forests Rove Beetles Act As Warning Signs For Clear-Cutting Consequences Woods Hole Research Center Scientists Study Impacts Of Industrial Logging In Central Africa Zimbabwe Forests Under Threat While Cambodia Censors Logging Report
FARM NEWS Annan Leads Drive To Reverse African Farming Decline University Of Colorado Invention May Allow Thirsty Crops To Signal Farmers Livestock Virtually Fenced In A Crop Containment Strategy For GM Farms	CAR TECH Toyota To Make Diesel Engines With Isuzu Honda To Produce Green Diesel Cars Toyota Develops More Fuel-Efficient Engine System GM Wants To Drive Green But Easy On The Rules
AEROSPACE easyJet Plans Greener Aircraft By 2015 Airbus Wants To Cut CO2 Emissions By Half By 2020 Airlines To Order Nearly 30,000 New Planes In Next 20 Years Airlines Pledge Emissions Cuts But Warn EU Curbs Could Jeopardise Sector	NUCLEAR SPACE Could NASA Get To Pluto Faster? Space Expert Says Yes - By Thinking Nuclear NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement