TOKYO - A child-shaped humanoid robot that can recognize about 10,000 words and work as a house sitter will go on sale in Japan in September.
The "Wakamaru" robot can recognize the faces of up to 10 people and talk to them. When linked to mobile phones, it can also work as a monitor to check situations at home, such as a burglary or someone falling ill, Mitsubishi-Heavy Industries Ltd. said in a statement Monday.
All these skills make the robot far more capable than, say, my dear departed mother. Mom rarely used big words, was a lousy sitter, and when confronted with an unfamiliar face, always asked me if she knew this person.
The owner's schedule can be programmed in advance and Wakamaru can give a wake-up call and remind them of the day's events.
Shit. . . I'm really not kidding you, this is my Mom. Billions of Yen and decades of research, and the Japanese build a better Dorothy from Garfield Ridge. Only one fueled by electricity, instead of by Diet Rite and Parliaments.
What *is* it with the Japanese and their robots? Is it because they love gadgets? Is it because their birth rate is so low, and hence they lack manual labor? I really don't understand.
And I especially don't understand this robot. Where are the robot punch missiles? Or the heat rays? Or the masturbating tentacles?
Pshaw. Might as well buy a Teddy Ruxpin-- at least *he* can be made to talk dirty.
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