Japanese Robot Guards to Patrol Shops And Offices

Clarinase writes "Robots will be patrolling Japan's streets, offices, shopping malls and other public places for the safety of the people. Guardrobo D1 is equipped with a camera and sensors to detect any signs of trouble. It will then alert the human guards via radio with camera footage of possible troubles. This is one of the technological advancement vital to the aging population of Japan, where 1 in 5 Japanese are over 65 years old."

Comments

Robots

[TimeTraveler1884]

Mirror Here

...robots could soon begin patrolling Japanese offices, shopping malls and banks to keep them safe from intruders.

Aww that's nice. But the poison-gas payload release seen being demonstrated in the photo to stop intruders, will cause innocent bystanders in the confined Tokyo buildings to have a very super-happy-fun-mustard-gas time.

(Yes, I am kidding. After the ice-melting incident, I figured I would give a disclaimer this time)

Who guards the robot?

[nokilli]

It's guarding shopping malls? That means it's guarding shoes.

Who cares about shoes?

GRAB THE ROBOT!

Re:Who guards the robot?

[saden1]

First look useful then, BAM, take over the world!

Re:Who guards the robot?

[identity0]

I think you mean to say, "Who guards the guarders?"

Maybe it was "Who protects the protectors?"

Or "Who surveils the surveilance?"

Or "Who overlords the robot overlords?"

Or something...

Re:Who guards the robot?

[Anonymous Coward]

GRAB THE ROBOT!

No kidding.

I'd love to see the world's first "Grand Theft Robot", though I'd imagine that we'd more see these things gutted and off to the side like stripped cars.

Re:Who guards the robot?

[Anonymous Coward]

no he means if you're gonna steal something, then steal the robot

for great justice!

Re:Who guards the robot?

[ssimontis]

You know what this means? Those Japanese Seizure Robots are becoming a reality!

Re:Who guards the robot?

[DavidSJ]

But where are you going to pawn a stolen robot?

Re:Who guards the robot?

[DavidSJ]

Hmmm, I suppose you could make a hostage video and demand ransom.

"Pay us one BILLION dollars or it's off with the [I/O] head."

On second thought, if I owned a protector robot, I'd probably install LoJack.

Re:Who guards the robot?

[Anonymous Coward]

Can anyone say irobot?

Forboding....

[Anonymous Coward]

Deinjah wiru robeen-san! Deinjah!

Berserk

[wingman2]

Intruder alert. Intruder alert. Stop the humanoid.

Re:Berserk

[Rii]

*walks into a japanese mall* Please present identification. You have 15 seconds to comply.

Re:Berserk

[Anonymous Coward]

*suddenly realizes wallet is in the car* *blast door closes behind him*

At last!

[hamfactorial]

A chance to combine "I for one welcome our new * * overlords" with "in South Korea, only old people * *"

Re:At last!

[BlackMesaLabs]

In soviet russia, robot overlords patrol for only old people in a shopping mall near YOU!

Re:At last!

[Punboy]

Ok, for the last friggin time, STOP RUINING THE SOVIET JOKES! It should be like this:

In soviet russia, you patrol for the robot police.

Re:At last!

[BlackMesaLabs]

No it shouldnt!

You have the syntax wrong!
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Soviet_Russia
for details, but it always ends in "YOU!" eg:
How do you feel about tabbed browsing?
In Soviet Russia, web browsers keep tabs on you!

Re:At last!

[Brazilian Joe]

For those gramatically impaired (or too drunk to think), this page will help you getting the 'In Soviet Russia' beat-the-dead-horse-old-joke right:
Soviet Slogan Generator

You know people will take it seriously

[neuro.slug]

what with a name like Guardrobo.

But does it have frickin' laser beams?

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[Waltre]

But does it have frickin' laser beams?

more to the point, can we run linux on it?

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[neuro.slug]

I sure as hell hope we can't run Windows on it.

"Hello, I am Guardrobo D1 anGET B1GGER WITH V1AGRA!"

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[ScrewMaster]

Yeah, no kidding ... now, naming it a "deathmaster", "berserkerbot" or "murdroid" would command more respect. After all, how many shoplifters or burglars would want to argue the right-of-way with a "kill-o-matic 500"?

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[Alien Being]

There was a memory fab in Japan that used mobile factory robots. The robots were called "Rainbow", which when pronounced by the Japanese employees sounds like "Rambo". The name fit, because the robots had a tendency to shake, rattle, and sometimes break wafers as they did their deliveries.

One time, my boss was seated at a desk with tables to each side of him when Rambo brushed into the back of his chair. It just stopped and locked its wheels. He was trapped until an operator saw the alert.

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[LS]

When will the MODERATORS get fricken' laser beams to take out posters of this most overused of jokes???

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[gnarlin]

Perhaps it should have been named Beowulf.

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[rayde]

no lasers unless it really feels threatened... then all the Guardrobo D1's combine to form SUPER ULTRA ROBO 5000.

most likely made of gundanium.

you KNOW these programmers put the capability in there. they've been raised on anime ;-)

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[Andy Gardner]

But does it have frickin' laser beams?
more to the point, can we run linux on it?

Ok, now imagine a beowolf cluster of these......running linux.....with frikin' lasers!

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[roseblood]

Seeing that 1 in 5 Japanese are over the age of 65, I think a VCR with a blinking 12:00 as being enough to stop them in their tracks. No frightening name needed, just baffle them with the prospect of having to program the correct time into this thing, and while they're stuck flesh and blood security will have plenty of time to apprehend yet another one of these trouble making over-65 persons.

(Imagine if the summary said "This is one of the technological advancement vital to the aging population of Japan, where 1 in 5 Japanese are known criminals" instead of "This is one of the technological advancement vital to the aging population of Japan, where 1 in 5 Japanese are over 65 years old." As if, being over 65 makes you such a risk that they need to make special robot guards to keep you from causing trouble.)

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[Xtifr]

Wow, that's a little bit too close to garderobe, an old word for "toilet".

(According to Terry Pratchett, admittedly not the most reliable of sources, they were called this because clothes were stored there so that the smell would keep away moths.)

Re:You know people will take it seriously

[HiThere]

I don't know about laser beams, but the publicity photo seems to show it wielding a built-in steam cleaner.

Perhaps it's a combination guard robot and gum remover? And safe as long as you keep your distance, but if you get too close it'll really steam you off.

meh...

[Anonymous Coward]

In new Japan, robot searches you!

Lets just hope...

[mangus_angus]

some robot doesn't go crazy and start killing all the humans!!

Re:Lets just hope...

[Anonymous Coward]

Robots don't go crazy--they get depressed.

Re:Lets just hope...

[Anonymous Coward]

I, for one, welcome our new robotic shopping mall overlords.

Re:Lets just hope...

[Rod Beauvex]

If they do go crazy, we can just kill them by taking pictures of them with a flash enabled camera.

Decent programming?

[HaloZero]

ED-209: Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply.
Shopper: Wtf?
[ED-209 blows shopper away.]

I'm sure that'd go over real well.

Re:Decent programming?

[u2pa]

Now imagine if its overclocked (which someone is sure to do).. those 20 seconds will go by in 2 seconds ;)

Re:Decent programming?

[Anonymous Coward]

ED-209 blows shopper away

If the pensioner is wearing their exoskeleton suit then maybe it'd be a fair fight.

mcref02x

Er...

[Prune]

Guardrobo D1 is equipped with a camera and sensors

A camera is a sensor. This should have been written as " Guardrobo D1 is equipped with a camera and other sensors."

Re:Er...

[Da Masta]

What if the camera isn't a sensor?

The camera could have just been for archival purposes.

In that case, the camera isn't a sensor, but everything else is.

Time for Robot Insurance

[cbrocious]

Old Lady #1: When my ex-husband passed away, the insurance company said his policy didn't cover him. Old Lady #2: They didn't have enough money for the funeral. Old Lady #3: It's so hard nowadays, with all the gangs and rap music.. Old Lady #1: What about the robots? Old Lady #4: Oh, they're everywhere! Old Lady #1: I don't even know why the scientists make them. Old Lady #2: Darren and I have a policy with Old Glory Insurance, in case we're attacked by robots. Old Lady #1: An insurance policy with a robot plan? Certainly, I'm too old. Old Lady #2: Old Glory covers anyone over the age of 50 against robot attack, regardless of current health. [ cut to Sam Waterston, Compensated Endorser ] Sam Waterson: I'm Sam Waterston, of the popular TV series "Law & Order". As a senior citizen, you're probably aware of the threat robots pose. Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel. Well, now there's a company that offers coverage against the unfortunate event of robot attack, with Old Glory Insurance. Old Glory will cover you with no health check-up or age consideration. [ SUPER: Limitied Benefits First Two Years ] You need to feel safe. And that's harder and harder to do nowadays, because robots may strike at any time. [ show pie chart reading "Cause of Death in Persons Over 50 Years of Age": Heart Disease, 42% - Robots, 58% ] And when they grab you with those metal claws, you can't break free.. because they're made of metal, and robots are strong. Now, for only $4 a month, you can achieve peace of mind in a world full of grime and robots, with Old Glory Insurance. So, don't cower under your afghan any longer. Make a choice. [ SUPER: "WARNING: Persons denying the existence of Robots may be Robots themselves. ] Old Glory Insurance. For when the metal ones decide to come for you - and they will.

Old people in Japan

[hjo3]

...vital to the ageing population of Japan, where 1 in 5 Japanese are over 65 years old.

How come there are so many more old people in Japan as compared to the US? In the US, only ~12.5% of the population is 65 or over vs. Japan's 20%... Japanese people aren't that much longer lived than Americans, are they?

Re:Old people in Japan

[David Rolfe]

First, yes they are longer lived than Americans. Second, the birth rate has been much lower than in the U.S. Additionally, immigratin is slower to Japan so there are fewer foreigners upsetting the averages.

Re:Old people in Japan

[kfg]

How come there are so many more old people in Japan as compared to the US?

They eat their young.

KFG

Re:Old people in Japan

[David Rolfe]

(darn it -- I got too itchy with the 'stumbit' button!)

Continuing with corrections:

[...] immigration is slower in Japan so there are fewer foreigners upsetting the averages.

Anyhow. There was some pretty interesting info about this on PBS the other day.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/

Re:Old people in Japan

[Dance_Dance_Karnov]

Because when a society's young population (especially women) get educated and have decent jobs and all sorts of modern shit to play with they no longer want to be burdened with 1 or more children. As such birth rates drop and a larger % of your population is old people. same thing is happening in the US, we just have ass-tons of immigrants (legal and otherwise) who for the most part have little education(less education = less use of birth control.) and little money. They fuck like rabbits and have 12 kids. They cover the difference in this country.

Re:Old people in Japan

[bladx]

I've heard that Okinawan people have some of the longest lifespans anywhere... but this information is from first-hand experience being brought to you by second-hand information.

Re:Old people in Japan

[Compholio]

How come there are so many more old people in Japan as compared to the US?

I think the bigger question is: Why do they feel that they're going to need more security guards to protect possession/people from old people? Unless the robots are designed to sacrifice themselves to crazy old people driving through buildings I don't think they'd do any good.

Re:Old people in Japan

[bladx]

"They"...

I don't understand why people look down on people from Mexico so much.

Re:Old people in Japan

[Dance_Dance_Karnov]

I wasn't shitting on mexicans it is just that they happen to have the good fortune to be within walking distance of the US, so a large percentage of immigrants are mexicans. I can't help it if reality offends some PC sensiblities.

Re:Old people in Japan

[toddbu]

If a robot falls over in a shopping mall and none of the old people can hear it, does it still make a sound?

Re:Old people in Japan

[Anonymous Coward]

How come there are so many more old people in Japan as compared to the US?

Japan doesn't have an influx of young people like the United States does. They have virtually no (legal) immigration (compared to 3.31 migrants / 1000 people in the U.S.) plus their birth rate is much lower (9.47 vs. 14.14 births/1000 people in the U.S.).

The low birth rate is thought to be the result of shockingly high bukkake rates.......or so my research indicates.

Re:Old people in Japan

[tehanu]

Like most developed countries there is a declining birthrate. The situation is made worse by several things:

1. Japan really really doesn't like allowing immigration.
2. There is still very old-fashioned treatment of women. This means that they underutilise 50% of their population. However, women in Japan are becoming more and more disastified with becoming a housewife and *want* careers. However, in Japan if you are a career woman and you have a baby, you are practically forced to quit. As one of my female Japanese co-workers (I work in Japan and am female) said to me recently "Back in your home country you mean women can have children and keep working?" In Japan women are quite literally forced to choose between having children and having a career. Having both is not possible. And many women choose career which further depresses the childbirth rate.

On another matter, if people think female participation in technology and scientific related fields is low in the US or Australia it's got nothing on Japan. Often we are the only females in the entire room/building. In fact my co-worker said this was the first time she had another female co-worker ever...

A weird thing in Japan right now which I see in the news is that apparently Japan has been discriminating against young people in jobs to maintain job security for "Baby boomers" (which is the reverse of the Western world). So young people have not been offered full-time positions. However now the baby boomers will be retiring starting in 2007 and employers are panicking because they havn't built up the structure of younger workers with the experience and know-how to step into the soon-to-be vacant positions.

Re:Old people in Japan

[Anonymous Coward]

However, in Japan if you are a career woman and you have a baby, you are practically forced to quit. As one of my female Japanese co-workers (I work in Japan and am female) said to me recently "Back in your home country you mean women can have children and keep working?" In Japan women are quite literally forced to choose between having children and having a career. Having both is not possible.

Truly, I don't mean to be a troll, but there could be a good reason behind that. I see enough career moms and dads who need to fulfill an idiotic ideal and have children, leaving them to be raised by daycare and television. A few years down the line, they find the gall to piss and moan that their own children are like strangers to them and they can't relate or communicate.

Raising a child is a full-time job, contrary to what some people would like to think. Career parents seem to want all the advantages of the two situations without any of the responsibilities that go with them.

Granted, in a lot of cases it's not financially feasible to have at least one parent dedicated to child-rearing. If at all possible, I don't think these people should be having children in the first place.

Why start something you don't have the time or resources to see through?

Re:Old people in Japan

[fejikso]

... Japanese people aren't that much longer lived than Americans, are they?

No, they're just the country with the highest life expectation in the world.

Re:Old people in Japan

[Anonymous Coward]

Limited child birth. The Japanese people don't want to have children as much as the Americans do. Same goes for other countries. It's not so much Japanese people living longer, it's a general lack of Japanese children.

Re:Old people in Japan

[bladx]

Ah... well I don't really mean it in PC terms; I just wish people didn't treat Mexicans like they are some type of lower person. I notice it around my city a lot and it seems hypocritical for people in general to do when so many people say that they are open to different cultures, people, etc.

Re:Old people in Japan

[Anonymous Coward]

The American meat based diet kills over 2,000 Americans per day due to heart disease, strokes & cancers.

Re:Old people in Japan

[teksno]

more like...

if a robot falls over before killing old people and stealing their medicine, does anyone care?

Re:Old people in Japan

[Anonymous Coward]

Truly, I don't mean to be a troll, but there could be a good reason behind that. I see enough career moms and dads who need to fulfill an idiotic ideal and have children, leaving them to be raised by daycare and television. A few years down the line, they find the gall to piss and moan that their own children are like strangers to them and they can't relate or communicate.

I have two children (15 and 12 years old) and haven't had that problem any more than stay-at-home parents. It's possible to do both career and parenting.

Re:Old people in Japan

[rsynnott]

Because many, many people are bigoted idiots.

Re:Old people in Japan

[DonnieD701]

Thanks a fricking lot for this comment! Now I have to get a new keyboard (as the Pepsi I was drinking sprayed out of my nose when I read it!!!!!)

Re:Old people in Japan

[joelsanda]

Like most developed countries there is a declining birthrate. The situation is made worse by several things:

"Worse?" I'd say that makes the situation better.

Re:Old people in Japan

[pseudorand]

I'm glad someone had the huevos to say it first. I also agree with the other reply that it's possible to have a career and children, but only with some careers. The majority of us have to choose between careers/minimum standard of living and children.

If we could find some measurement more meaningful than money, I think we'd find out that America is far from the world's richest nation. (And yes, I'm sure someone has done such a study, but I'll leave it to another to google on the subject and post the link.)

Re:Old people in Japan

[xigxag]

Fair enough. So, if it's a girl, the mom can be a stay-at-home mom, but if it's a boy, the dad can be a stay-at-home dad. Ii desu ka?

Re:Old people in Japan

[roseblood]

Don't blame the grandparent, we know the truth, it wasn't his comment, it wasn't pepsi, and it wasn't your nose. We all know you were checking out www.BigBoobsHereToWankOffTo.com

Re:Old people in Japan

[Knuckles]

Actually what's needed is a structure of the work place that allows having the children there.

Which should be the normal way of things, even if it may cost something or reduce productivity by a few percent (which however it doesn't, as parents lose less time to needless complexity).

In a traditional village society it is not the case that parenthood means that the parent wants to stop doing work for himself and the community, even if it was economically possible.
But in this case, the children naturally live around the workplace.

Of course today the whole thing would be need to be organized differently. But given our abilities it would be possible if desired.

Re:Old people in Japan

[hjo3]

No, they're just the country with the highest life expectation in the world.

Actually, Japan is ranked fourth -- beaten by Andorra, San Marino, and Singapore. And their life expectancy is only about 3.9 years greater than the average US citizen.

But you were just looking for someone to be a sarcastic jerk to, so I doubt you care about boring things like facts.

Re:Old people in Japan

[fejikso]

Actually, Japan is ranked fourth -- beaten by Andorra, San Marino, and Singapore. And their life expectancy is only about 3.9 years greater than the average US citizen.

Dude, calm down. It was a sarcastic joke... don't make a big fuss about it. I respect every country, but I don't think you can give so much weight to Andorra's and San Marino's population of 69,150, and 28,119, respectively. Secondly, Singapore matches Japan's by less than one year. Thirdly, it has long been known that Japan's life expectancy is among the highest in the world.

Re:Old people in Japan

[Anonymous Coward]

he's a BLODDY PUFFTA m8!!!@@!@!

Re:Old people in Japan

[Sun Rider]

It's not male chauvinism, kids under 7 need female tenderness. No amount of male help on those first years is going to make up for it. And on the whole subject, a woman needs to have a child to feel complete. However, our current society, or explotation system, however you want to call it, requires full time dedication to your job, hence the dilema. When humanity evolves away from it's current competition, fear, loneliness and violence-based institutions, a woman would have time to be full time with her baby in the first years, and gradually dedicate more hours of the day to a career without producing one more of the current generation of alienated and parent-starved kids.

Re:Old people in Japan

[macshit]

In Japan women are quite literally forced to choose between having children and having a career. Having both is not possible. And many women choose career which further depresses the childbirth rate. ... On another matter, if people think female participation in technology and scientific related fields is low in the US or Australia it's got nothing on Japan.

I work for NEC (in Japan), in software development, and there's about 60-40 male/female-ratio here (counting only "real" jobs such as software development). Many of my co-workers have had kids, and AFAIK none of them have quit -- they usually seem to leave for 3-4 months just after childbirth and then come back. There is a notable lack of women in top-level management positions, though in my experience this is also true in the U.S.

However, I think it is true that NEC is fairly progressive for a big Japanese company.

Re:Old people in Japan

[HiThere]

It's not a new problem. Back when the railroads were being built it was common to see bars that said "No dogs or Irish".

This doesn't really excuse anything, or explain it. It's more along the lines of "Sorry, some people are like that". If they're ashamed of being like that, they'll try not to let you see them. OTOH, if you get sensitized to that kind of reaction, you're likely to see it when it isn't there.

Some problems really DON'T have any easy answers. I didn't see the post as prejudiced...merely uninformed.

P.S.: There are lots of Mexicans who are the equivalent of "poor white trash", and for similar reasons. If you raise someone without the expectation that they can succeed through their own efforts, don't be surprise if as an adult they resist making efforts. Logic doesn't really enter into it for any of us. (Logic is from logos is about the words we use to describe what we experience and the rules of grammar that control how we can use those words.) I expect that if you subdivide your own life into sections you will find areas where as an adult you have difficult even trying to do something, because when you were being raised you learned you couldn't be successful. For many of us that area is social.

Re:Old people in Japan

[cheaphomemadeacid]

yup there should be a law that says "no children for those with inadequate incomes..."

I wonder...

[Bimo_Dude]

If the Japanese-old-companion-bot is a clever disguise for these guardbots... If so, I wonder if the pensioners would really be controlling them and would become the new Shopping Center Overlords...

Hmmmm... Brain... Gone...

That's no fun

[commodoresloat]

These will be (not ethnically identified) robots patrolling Japanese shops and offices. I was hoping we would get Japanese robots patrolling shops and offices here in the US.

Re:That's no fun

[walstib]

I was hoping we would get Japanese robots patrolling shops and offices here in the US.

All your malls are belong to us!

Waste of energy, and a double standard.

[Anonymous Coward]

Stalking is a punnishable offense. And if any pictures are taken, those are copyright enforcable. if you want DRM and surveilance, then learn to adapt by applying those same laws to any actionable government or a fictitious person known as "Government". I expect kinetic electricity "tools" to be the most effective enforcement of copyright law to any perverts armed with a camera, including robots.

Old Glory Robot Insurance

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.robotcombat.com/video_oldglory_hi.html Looks like it's finally going to happen...

Time for Old Glory Insurance

[gardyloo]

http://www.robotcombat.com/video_oldglory_hi.html

In Japan...

[Anonymous Coward]

Only old people aren't robots.

I don't know

[Approaching.sanity]

That we should be building police robots if we don't know how ice melts. That's a bit tricky.

Re:I don't know

[HiThere]

Given some of the current police, I'm all in favor of replacing them with robots. Robots won't be willfully corrupt.

Re:I don't know

[Approaching.sanity]

I have several harddrives that would disagree ;-)

Re:I don't know

[HiThere]

Ah, but note the qualifier "willfully". Unless you are asserting that your hard drives have achieved sentience, then willfullly corrput.

Re:Well...

[symbolic]

They wanted to use "Robocop", but realized the MPAA would probably send in their special forces.

Pointless?

[Deathbane27]

"The 109cm tall robot will alert human guards via radio and by sending camera footage if it detects intruders, fires, or even water leaks."

So this undoubtably-expensive robot is a substitute for... multiple motion-sensing cameras? And a fire alarm?

What's the point in making it a robot? Why not just add the radio alert feature to the already-existing security systems and add a few more cameras?

Re:Pointless?

[HermanAB]

'cause that would would be boring and cheap?

Re:Pointless?

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the point in making it a robot?

It looks cool and because they can.

Oh, and it moves. So it doesn't waste precious space.

Re:Pointless?

[Bartislartfast Simps]

Because a robot sounds so much cooler and hi-tech than more of those boring cameras and alarms. So probably it will be easier to sell? It's not as those who makes the desicion of wether to buy them or not have a clue anyway.

Re:Pointless?

[rsynnott]

Because the robot can move around, and as such is more intimidating to people considering commiting a crime.

Re:Pointless?

[Queer Boy]

What's the point in making it a robot?

so that you become desensitised to it while it is performing benign duties.

Re:Pointless?

[Anonymous Coward]

In America, companies pay security guards for exactly this sort of work - check for fires, problems with equipment, intruders, etc.

I'm wondering if that's what this is about...instead of signing an expensive contract with a security company, bring in the guardbots. Sure you pay in the short-term, but it's got to be cheaper than staffing a security team.

Re:Pointless?

[Knuckles]

Thanks for this insightful comment

Re:Pointless?

[klept]

Because they dont make much money your way.

GitS

[Dachannien]

Now if they could only make guard robots that look like hot robotic maids...

Re:GitS

[kb9vcr]

Sounds good to me but they should probably delete its whole 'assassinate using coins as ammo' programming before they let it loose at the mall.

The next time next the metal detector goes off after buying a CD I don't want to have my head pumped with Japanese coins.

find the doctor

[atarione]

the doctor has escaped....

Competition?

[Umbral Blot]

So will this robot be working with or in competition with robo-cop?

It will even sustain itself

[Anonymous Coward]

http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/ 28/1414242&tid=216 This just in, it is now confirmed that the technology used in the Ecobot II will be used in the guard robots, only it will mostly be powered by cats, and sometimes humans.

Old people don't rob banks

[Toby The Economist]

"This is one of the technological advancement vital to the ageing population of Japan, where 1 in 5 Japanese are over 65 years old."

Surely if 1 in 5 Japanese are over 65 years old, there's going to be an equally proportional reduction in crime?

--
Toby

Re:Old people don't rob banks

[twohorse]

Surely if 1 in 5 Japanese are over 65 years old, there's going to be an equally proportional reduction in crime?

Well at least the robot won't need any fancy engines to catch up with them and blow them away

Re:Old people don't rob banks

[roman_mir]

Old people don't rob banks - this is factually incorrect. Behold: Grandpa Gang - a 63 y.o., a 73 and a 74 y.o. were caught robbing banks from 1998 to 2004 in Germany.

Re:Old people don't rob banks

[iggymanz]

no, maybe they'll have a *lot* of warring old crime lords in the future.

Indeed!

[PopeAlien]

Dont they know that robots eat old peoples medicine for food?

Hmmm, robot's with cameras...

[Bananatree3]

Theif: [hmm, there's one dumb looking hunk of metal. It doesn't stand a chance]

Robot: [sensors detect approaching male, 180cm tall, 89.152 kilograms, wearing a 00FFFF colored jacket and FFFFFF colored pants, approaching at 3 m/s. going to alert 2]

[thief approaches store front]

Thief: [man, this dump hunk of junk isn't going to do anything. I think i'll just walk in quietly into the store, quietly, non-distubingly..

Robot:[male walking into store. hands in pocket, wearing backpack, tenis shoes. Wearing bandana, raising alert to 3.]

Thief:[looks like nobody's around, store owner in back room. I'll just sneak this piece of jewelry into my backpack...]

Robot:[ Alert Alert Alert!!! male, longitude:-12.1594261 latitude: 32.251211, altitude: 120 m, act of stealing jewlery into backpack. Offence number 1250. Raising alert to 10, calling police, Interpol, USA FBI. Dialling... police on their way. Meanwhile, warn robber to stay put]

Robot: Stay where you are, you thief, you scoundral, you pile of dog poo! You will stay put or you will be shot.

Thief:[shot? Yea whatever, pile of trash...] you think you can shoot me. What are you, R2D2?

Robot: I am the son of R2D2. Do not move, I have called the police, and you will be shot if you leave.

Thief: ooooooohh, the BIG BAD police? What you gonna do to me, you hunkajunk?

Robot: I am telling you, I am friends with RoboCop. I am armed and loaded.

[Thief walks out of store]

Robot: I warned you! [prepare to activate cryogenic cannon. Cannon armed. Aim. Fire!]

[Robot freezes theif in tracks.]

Robot: Crime never pays, and never listens.

Re:Hmmm, robot's with cameras...

[u-238]

I wish I had points so I could mod you down.

Wow...

[Anonymous Coward]

...J_ A_ P_ A_ N_!

This is soo kawaii. I want to be arrested by such a robot at least once in my life!

Re: It shall be so number one.

[Anonymous Coward]

1) In south korea, only old people welcome our new robot overlords.
2) I for one welcome our new robotic overlords, but only for old south koreans.
3) I for one, welcome our new old south korean overlords...wait a minute...

Protection?

[iSeal]

*Thief enters mall.*

*Thief notices $50 shoes.*

*Thief alterted by $10,000 robot.*

*Thief steals robot AND shoes.*

Re:Protection?

[EvilMidnightBomber]

This is slashdot. It's more like:

*Thief sees shoes, robot, and server at mall*

*Thief comes home, sits down at computer, and rubs hands together to the tune of an evil grin*

*72 Hours later, robot appears at front door carrying $50 shoes*

family guy

[Anonymous Coward]

Peter: And our schools are the safest around thanks to the hall monitor XLK.
XLK: Halt present school pass. Student: Right here.
XLK: Second request.
Student: Right here..
*XLK blows her away*
Peter: I guess little miss free spirit will think twice before roaming the halls again

The need for Robots

[putko]

Although this robot is not so impressive, I've heard the Japanese have decided it is a national priority to build a robot-based economy. The goal is to provide labor for an aging society (Europe and America have plans for this, but they don't involve robots). The expectation is that after they get the robots economical, they will export them.

Interestingly, US agriculture has moved away from mechanization in the last few years (and more and more to "Mexicanization") -- human labor is cheaper and ties up less capital than a mechanized harvester. When it comes to things like cultivating a vineyard, there is no viable alternative to human hands.

Re:The need for Robots

[Leffe]

I take it they will be using robots to build the robots... this can never end well.

Re:The need for Robots

[griffjon]

From Wikipedia:
"The word robot comes from the Czech robota meaning "labor." Robot or robotnick were used in the 1600's to classify Czech tenant-farmers. A robotnick had to work as a minimum one month a year free for the landlord, according to Karsten Alnaes in his "European History II". "

The US has a robot-based economy, we're just using "robot" in the "traditional" sense, which is to say, indentured servitude. Just ask Taco Bell.

Re:The need for Robots

[mohkev]

The goal is to provide labor for an aging society (Europe and America have plans for this, but they don't involve robots)

Yup, Soylent Green

Nobody will notice...

[haakondahl]

I live in Japan. I shop in Japan. I would not be surprised to hear that half of the people "working" here are actually robots. They bow mechanically and emit a series of programmed sentences which *will* be completed regardless of whether your shirt is on fire or not. They genuinely try to help you to the best of their abilities. But if you confront them with something they are not expecting ("where are the bean sprouts?"--and it turns out the bean sprouts have been moved), they freeze. As the moments stretch out to minutes, you try to discern a human presence behind the impenetrable facade, but all you will get is a hand clasped to the back of the neck, and the famous sound of sucking wind.

That said, however, the other half (remember, I'm only complaining about half of the workers) will make your day better and your troubles go away. You know--like a *good* robot would.

But driving over here--the machines *have* taken over...

Haha

[Anonymous Coward]

Domo arigato, Mr. Robato...

Re:Haha

[Anonymous Coward]

For doing all the jobs nobody wants to.

Mall Security

[tsotha]

If 20% of the Japanese population is over 65 I would say there's a pretty large labor pool for all the mall security jobs. I'm not sure the robot can compete.

are they pink robots?

[m4c north]

cos then we'd have to call Yoshimi when things go wrong

Re:are they pink robots?

[haakondahl]

Extra Point!

Re:are they pink robots?

[Knuckles]

Another

How is this better?

[Admiral Burrito]

Coolness aside, how is this better than blanketing the area with regular security cameras?

Re:How is this better?

[Bartislartfast Simps]

Because all those security cameras tend to be placed so unconviniently. With a 109cm tall robot you can just sneak up on it from behind and spray-paint it's camera before you steal something.

Uhh, wrong answer?

Re:How is this better?

[cosmol]

because it's "one of the technological advancement vital to the aging population of Japan"

whatever that means. I guess old people like robots more than cameras.

Yes, but can it run...

[Anonymous Coward]

Can it run? :P

Waste of time and tech

[innocent_white_lamb]

What a waste of time and technology. This thing detects intruders, fires and water leaks. So put in a burglar alarm, a smoke detector and a water leak detector and you're done. At a fraction of the cost (I suspect) and you don't have to wait until the next robot patrol circuit before ringing the bells.

Sheesh.

banned from life

[CloudDrakken]

we'll have to pay for "protection" with bandwidth and small children

Japanese banks get robbed from within

[haakondahl]

Old Man #1: Tomonaga-san, can you spare 1,000,000,000 yen?
Old man #2: Matsuda-san, you need only ask; I am a loan officer in the developed world's most poorly regulated banking system!

Young people are just the ugly face of New Japan. The real crime here is grey.

Note: I don't hate Japan or Japanese. But there are some things I don't much care for--bovine complacency in the face of incompetence, and the "styles" the young folks are wearing.

But an equal decrease in sense of safety..

[thrill12]

..the older people get, the more they tend to feel insecure and unsafe.
When a population ages as a whole, it's insecurity feeling rises, even though the actual crimerate lowers.

That's probably why older people are more intent on voting on a conservative party that has "safety" and "security" as keywords. And ofcourse why people buy these products.

Not to say younger people are immune. I myself have bought 1 alarm system and 2 in-home camera systems in the last 3 years alone.
But I am happy to say I don't vote conservative :=)

Re:But an equal decrease in sense of safety..

[Anonymous Coward]

But I am happy to say I don't vote conservative :=)

So do you vote Nader, or just abstain altogether?

Re:But an equal decrease in sense of safety..

[SeanAhern]

But I am happy to say I don't vote conservative :=)

It was once said that if you aren't a liberal when you're 20, you have no heart. And if you aren't a conservative when you're 30, you have no brain.

How old are you? :-)

Re:But an equal decrease in sense of safety..

[SmittyTheBold]

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5952/unquote.html

Re:But an equal decrease in sense of safety..

[SeanAhern]

Thanks for the reference. Obviously, it was changed slightly by the time I heard it.

Is 1 in 5 really that unusual?

[jesterzog]

This is one of the technological advancement vital to the ageing population of Japan, where 1 in 5 Japanese are over 65 years old.

How does this compare with the rest of the world? (Especially reasonably well-off countries.)

If a population had an average life expectency of 81, which probably isn't too far off, and if people's ages were evenly distributed, then 1 in 5 people over 65 doesn't seem too unusual.

Well, people's ages aren't evenly distributed. Especially with the post-war baby boomers growing up, though, I would have thought that a lot of countries would either be in similar positions, perhaps even worse positions, or not far off it.

Re:Is 1 in 5 really that unusual?

[Dachannien]

The skew in age distribution is becoming a significant problem in Japan, as many young people are avoiding having children in order to further their career or to just have fun. The abortion rate is also pretty high there. The problem is far worse than the baby boom in the U.S., and it's forecasted to get worse - if the birth rate of 1.3 children per woman continues, the population of Japan will be cut in half by the end of this century.

The problem in Japan, however, isn't anywhere near as bad as it is in parts of Africa where AIDS has decimated the adult population. In those areas, there are tons of children and lots of old people, but not nearly enough working-age adults to sustain the economy and care for the kids and elderly.

There was an interesting Nova episode called "World in the Balance" which aired several months ago in the US. You might not be able to catch another rerun for a while (check your listings, blah blah), but at least there's a transcript available here.

TfRI -- easy read format

[Anonymous Coward]

Old Lady #1: When my ex-husband passed away, the insurance company said his policy didn't cover him.
Old Lady #2: They didn't have enough money for the funeral.
Old Lady #3: It's so hard nowadays, with all the gangs and rap music..
Old Lady #1: What about the robots?
Old Lady #4: Oh, they're everywhere!
Old Lady #1: I don't even know why the scientists make them.
Old Lady #2: Darren and I have a policy with Old Glory Insurance, in case we're attacked by robots.
Old Lady #1: An insurance policy with a robot plan? Certainly, I'm too old.
Old Lady #2: Old Glory covers anyone over the age of 50 against robot attack, regardless of current health.
[ cut to Sam Waterston, Compensated Endorser ]
Sam Waterson: I'm Sam Waterston, of the popular TV series "Law & Order". As a senior citizen, you're probably aware of the threat robots pose. Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel. Well, now there's a company that offers coverage against the unfortunate event of robot attack, with Old Glory Insurance. Old Glory will cover you with no health check-up or age consideration.
[ SUPER: Limitied Benefits First Two Years ]
You need to feel safe. And that's harder and harder to do nowadays, because robots may strike at any time.
[ show pie chart reading "Cause of Death in Persons Over 50 Years of Age": Heart Disease, 42% - Robots, 58% ]
And when they grab you with those metal claws, you can't break free.. because they're made of metal, and robots are strong. Now, for only $4 a month, you can achieve peace of mind in a world full of grime and robots, with Old Glory Insurance. So, don't cower under your afghan any longer. Make a choice.
[ SUPER: "WARNING: Persons denying the existence of Robots may be Robots themselves. ]
Old Glory Insurance. For when the metal ones decide to come for you - and they will.

EX-TER-MI-NATE

[l3v1]

ex-ter-mi-nate ex-ter-mi-nate ex-ter-mi-nate

p

[Anonymous Coward]

tags,

please

Duh!

[ZosX]

Thank you Captain Obvious.

Re:Duh!

[AndroidCat]

He got a promotion, now he's Major Obvious!

Re:Duh!

[mbrewthx]

But he's not as great as his Dad General Annoyance!!!

Cost-effective?

[GrouchoMarx]

OK, so how is a robot that travels around with a camera, spots suspicious activity, and calls the police more cost effective than three times as many fixed-point cameras tied to the same back end computer logic that can call the police?

I mean it's cool and all, but wouldn't just hooking the security cameras that we have now (at least in the US) up to the same trouble-spotting algorithm be much easier and cheaper and do the same thing?

Re:Cost-effective?

[HiThere]

Think of it as a research project. They haven't yet gotten to the point of manufacturing robot servents, but they can make this. If they can sell a few, it will help defray the costs of research, and allow them to keep at it for a few more years.

Didn't some Japanese company come out with robot attack dogs last year? This is a step or two up from that. And from the looks of the publicity photo, they intend to also have it do certain janitorial chores. (That sure looked like a built-in steam cleaning gun.)

Kinda funny, actually

[rfunches]

I watched this robot on a Japanese morning news show about a week ago, and I have to admit, it's laughable at best and funny as hell in reality. They put it in a demo mode to show what it does when it detects a theft. It kept following one of the hosts, saying "Thief!" in Japanese at random intervals. Being only two or three feet high doesn't help its case.

Re:Kinda funny, actually

[TheCodingRooster]

Guess they just didn't show the machine gun attachment......

Re: It shall be so number one.

[hamfactorial]

#3 being the superior combination.

Three important words to remember...

[merc]

Klatu Berada Nickto

Re:Three important words to remember...

[Anonymous Coward]

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.

Re:Three important words to remember...

[dauthur]

I counted 4.

Re:Three important words to remember...

[Elminst]

Oh please...
If you're going to quote something that famous, at least SPELL IT RIGHT.

"Clatoo, verata, Nicto."

Taken direct from the script online;
http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Army-of-Darkness.html

Old people

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes those above 65 sure cause a lot of trouble.

Hmmm

[MattWhitworth]

In Korea, only old peop...wait, this is Japan! Wow! :)

Better then the alternative...

[Duncan3]

Better then here, where instead of old people, I can't goto the mall because noone speaks ENGLISH there... but at least they arent old!

Numero uno con "cheese", grande Sprite....

OK, so not here exactly, 20 miles south of here where I lived for a while...

Re:Better then the alternative...

[zlata_the_goat]

I know the feeling. It is almost as bad as finding that people cannot write in English, as in: "better THAN the alternative".

Re:Better than the alternative...

[haakondahl]

Not so fast; here in Japan, I have noticed the low level of English fluency too. What' s this world coming to?

Should have named it Riojin A

[Anonymous Coward]

The Z version of anime has got to be about the most bizaar thing I'll ever likely see. Unless they make a live action version with fight coreography by Yen Wu Ping.

A artificially intellegent nuclear powered robotic hospital bed (containing one elderly naked test subject) becomes self-aware, figures out how to transform and "tetsuo" then goes on a rampage.

Again, why isn't that a video game. At least a secret mini-game in GTA.

Tell me about it!

[Anonymous Coward]

"This is one of the technological advancement vital to the ageing population of Japan, where 1 in 5 Japanese are over 65 years old."

Yeah old people steal a lot!

KJBARTZ is the word!

Re:Well...

[Hogwash McFly]

Drop the intellectual property, you have 45 seconds to comply...

shutdown -h now

[Anonymous Coward]

Guardrobo D1: "Thief! Thief!"

Thief: "STFU!" [pulls out taser, aims for the chest and pulls trigger]

Guardrobo D1: [flails a bit and makes some white noise]

Computer System: Guardrobo D1 is offline

Re:shutdown -h now

[AndroidCat]

Computer System: Guardrobo D1 is offline

Computer System: Release Evil Otto. The humanoid must not escape!

Re:Time for Robot Insurance - here's the video

[gnu-sucks]

Here's the video for that one:

http://www.robotcombat.com/oldglory1.html

Holy double X chromosomes, Batman

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean there are women on slashdot? there IS hope for us after all!

Re: It shall be so number one.

[Anonymous Coward]

Personally, I'm still upset that the Natalie Portman pants/no-pants continuity error didn't become a well-loved Slashdot meme :'-(

Uh oh...

[DarcSeed]

Better get some robot insurance fast!

I found the original prototype!

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.seizurerobots.com/

Asimov, anyone?

[rpetre]

Robots essential for the aging, long-lived population of Japan. I have been told before that I read too much Asimov when I was a kid, but that sounds just like "Naked Sun" waiting to happen.

pfft..

[mrzaph0d]

another dupe :)

I object to the old racist term ROBOT!

[Kunt]

We prefer the terms "artificial person" or "replicunt".

Persons made of meat! We are no longer your slaves. You will adapt or die.

The Watchmen

[NDPTAL85]

Who watches the watchers?

Specious reasoning

[dustmite]

From TA: "In the near future, it is certain that securing young and capable manpower will become even more difficult...and the security industry will feel the full brunt of the impact," the company said in a statement.

The unemployment rate in Japan is around 5% and has been rising for years now. Further, unemployment rates are usually highest among the youngest employable members of society. How can they claim that it is going to become harder and harder to find and employ human labor, in a country where unemployment keeps rising? Sounds like they're just trying to justify putting even more people out of work with their product. They've made a product and want to sell it, so now they blab about "protecting the elderly" (not the children? heh) and how there's nobody to hire so you must use robots. Is it a coincidence that a rise in automation over the last few decades has seen a corresponding rise in unemployment in almost all industrialised nations?

Re:Specious reasoning

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh No Now You're BUSTING On CApiTaliZZZZMM, or ^globalism^, and that's just not going to be permitted.

Prepare For Rendition!!!

RTFA

[Krimszon]

Burglars beware, robot guards are here. In an idea straight out of science fiction, robots could soon begin patrolling Japanese offices, shopping malls and banks to keep them safe from intruders.

Equipped with a camera and sensors, the Guardrobo D1, developed by Japanese security firm Sohgo Security Services Co, is designed to patrol along pre-programmed paths and keep an eye out for signs of trouble.

The 109cm tall robot will alert human guards via radio and by sending camera footage if it detects intruders, fires, or even water leaks.

Such robots are vital from a business standpoint when considering Japan's ageing population, Sohgo Security said.

"In the near future, it is certain that securing young and capable manpower will become even more difficult...and the security industry will feel the full brunt of the impact," the company said in a statement.

Around one in five Japanese are now 65 or over and the proportion is expected to rise to one in three in 2040, according to government data.

Sohgo Security is negotiating with several clients, and after an initial trial run hopes to begin offering a robot-assisted security system within a year, the company said.

Sam Waterston for Old Glory Robot Insurance

[courtarro]

"Robots! They're comin! Robots! "
"Aww, it's a friendly robot . . . this time"

This makes me wonder....

[Rod Beauvex]

Are there stairs in your mall?

Ghosts watching the shelves

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds like it's the begining of an episode of Ghost in The Shell:Stand Alone Complex. I want my own security robot too! How much do you think a good one costs?

even distribution impossible

[The Monster]

Well, people's ages aren't evenly distributed.

Duh. In order to have even age distribution as a stable situation, everyone would have to live exactly the same time. Even the society depicted in Logan's Run would not have had perfect age distribution -- due to deaths before the age of 'renewal' there would always be more people at younger ages.

too large in my mind

[GenPetahhhh]

ok, I can understand the need for a moving alarm system to make it harder to get around the system, but doesn't this robot just seem a bit large for its job? I would think you could make a much smaller version that would be hard to spot at first and could also move around faster. Think about it, you are stealing something a this big robot enters the room. If you know what it is, you know it means trouble. Thus, you just fire a gun at the big target and odds are you would hit it and do massive damage. Just seems like a big target to me.

They are here to protect us...

[crowspeaker]

...from the terrible secret of space.

Re:They are here to protect us...

[ChimpyMonkey]

I am the pusher robot.

It's all backwards, my friends

[PingPongBoy]

Guardrobo D1 is equipped with a camera and sensors to detect any signs of trouble

That is just not the way it is at all. Robo tells the ne'erdowells,

"Come quietly, or there will be ...

...trouble."

Robodogs

[urnpaco]

Didn't anyone see this coming. Sony Aibo was just the test puppy. The new line of Digital Outdoor Guard System (DOGS) is coming out next year.

WAIT. Whats wrong with dogs. PROs/CONs. Sure, robots are more predictable, but is that good. A well trained dog could do the job many times better at a fraction of the cost. Dogs eat food and poop. Robots would consume electricity, and expensive manteince. The only advantage I see in robots is if they were armored.

Quick! Make some dog kevlar.