September 12, 2005. Copyright 2005, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Your personal organiser, domestic helper and pet rolled into one
By Mark Rutter

LONDON, September 12, Graphic News:  Recent advances in robot technology have seen the march into the home of little helpers designed to take the grind out of daily chores like hoovering. Now a new generation of robots offering a personal touch are set to take off. Able to recognise and respond to people, carry out burglar patrol, provide reminders of appointments, and even monitor the sick, it should be available to buy in Japan from mid September.

Standing one metre tall, and weighing in at 30kg, the new pet robot, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has been nicknamed ÒWakamaruÓ -- the name given to young boys destined to become Japanese samurai. Sensors on its forehead allow it to move around without bumping into objects and people. The robot finds its way around by means of a camera in the top of its head pointed at the ceiling. As it moves around on wheels however, it cannot deal with steps. Power is provided by batteries which are recharged by the little assistant automatically finding its way back to a docking station, allowing Wakamaru to be active for 24 hours a day.

Another neat feature is the speech-recognition software. This enables the robot to understand 10,000 words and to speak -- the first household robot to do so -- and according to Mitsubishi, the intelligent robot Òtakes the initiative in speaking to the family based on the information he obtains from contact with the familyÓ. Image analysis software means it can also recognise up to 10 different faces. Among its other roles is providing reminders for tasks such as taking medication.

A Linux operating system, integrated web cam and cell phone, and a permanent wireless connection to the internet, allows external communication so that, for example, it could call for emergency help or transmit images if there is a problem with a person in the house. Wakamaru will also pick up and read e-mail as it comes in, and order items online for home delivery.

Perhaps its most useful function is to warn of intruders in the home while the householder is out. WakamaruÕs web cam can be accessed via a mobile phone, or it can be programmed to monitor suspicious movement in the house and to e-mail or phone you in the event it detects any such activity.

Demographics have created a market for Wakamaru among the elderly and infirm. The makers hope that an army of these robots will fill a niche created, particularly in Japan, by the shrinking number of younger people that might act as carers and companions for the expanding elderly population. Retailing at around US$15,000, they would certainly be an economic alternative to human helpers.

But the biggest barrier to the march of the home robot is likely to be cultural factors. Unlike in Japan, where people are used to robotic technology and being around robots, Europeans and Americans might need a little more persuading before they welcome these little assistants into their homes.
/ENDS