Android receptionist for hire
The robot, which is one metre tall and weighs 30kg, is available to rent for a mere 120,000 yen 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 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.
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