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House-Sitting Robot Hits Store Shelves in Japan

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the i'll-stick-with-the-neighbor-kid dept.

Eh-Wire writes "Roborior, a house-sitting robot armed with a digital camera, infrared sensors, and a videophone is on sale in select Japanese department stores. The house-sitting robot can detect break-ins with its infrared sensors and then call the owners cell phone and stream video to the tiny screen. At $2600 each the Roborior is not cheap. For those that require something a little more substantial, Tmusk, the manufacturer of Roborior, has produced a four legged version called Banryu. This one is the size of a large dog and sells for around $18,000. It's not supposed to shed hair or sleep on the furniture which could make it quite popular."

18 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. Er. by FireballX301 · · Score: 4, Funny

    OK, I read the abysmally short article, and I'm a bit confused. Wouldn't it be *slightly* more effective if it called the POLICE first, before calling you? I mean, if it was just a cat or something it'd be annoying, but in the event of a real robbery it'd be more effective to call the cops first.

    On another note, the thing is portable. And bloody expensive. So just tack on another $2600 in value to whatever the robbers steal.

    1. Re:Er. by SoloFlyer2 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Robber0: Hey man, check out this thing!
      Robber1: What the hell is it...
      Robber0: I Dunno... But it looks expensive... Grab it!

      Oh the Irony :)

      --
      "I reject your reality, and substitute my own" - Adam Savage
  2. Great! by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny


    > The house-sitting robot can detect break-ins with it's infrared sensors and then call the owners cell phone and stream video to the tiny screen.

    Now you can watch your treasures being cleaned out as it happens, rather than having to wait and rewind the security camera tapes when you get home.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    1. Re:Great! by Donut2099 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Matthew 6:19-21
      19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
      20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
      21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

  3. had to do it.. by know1 · · Score: 1, Funny

    i for one welcome our robot bodygaurd overlords

  4. Camera robots? Bah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I want a robot that will shoot the intruders instead.

    1. Re:Camera robots? Bah by slackah · · Score: 5, Funny

      Buy Lego Mindstorm and AK-47 then make your own "killer app" :D

    2. Re:Camera robots? Bah by seneces · · Score: 2, Funny

      "I'm really sorry it shot billy. I guess he was too stupid to remember the code anyway. Want to have another child?" Flawless.

    3. Re:Camera robots? Bah by snookums · · Score: 4, Funny

      A better option, with less chance of getting you locked up for murder is this:

      1) Install security cameras and hook them up to an image analysis system and your TV set.

      2) When the software detects an intruder, turn on the TV set with an IR blaster and bring up a picture of the room and the intruder.

      3) Overlay two circles with cross-hairs and flash the text "MISSILE DEFENCE SYSTEM - ACQUIRING LOCK". Move the cross-hairs around like they do in the movies.

      4) Eventually bring the cross-hairs together over the intruder, make a nice loud chime sound and flash "LOCK ACQUIRED - FIRE WHEN READY" in big letters.

      5) If the crims are still in the house at this point they deserve to have your stuff.

      --
      Be careful. People in masks cannot be trusted.
  5. I would steal the robot by HD+Webdev · · Score: 2, Funny

    After all, I could look around for money but it would be much more efficient to throw a blanket over the robot, steal it, and put it up for sale on ebay.

    Or, I could start a new fad by mailing the owners pictures of the robot vacationing in other countries.

    Wait, it could take it's own damned pictures!

    --
    This is not a dream, not a dream...we are transmitting from the year 1-9-9-9.
  6. Does it clean too? by keilinw · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now... if they'd only build it into my Roomba or Scuba so it can scan the house while it cleans.....

  7. For the American market... by speights_pride! · · Score: 1, Funny

    ..they will be adding a small shotgun :-)

  8. In demo mode at the mall... by LightningBolt! · · Score: 2, Funny

    House-Sitting Robot Hits Store Shelves in Japan

    --
    Old people fall. Young people spring. Rich people summer and winter.
  9. Haiku by datafr0g · · Score: 2, Funny

    House sitting robot
    No gun or sharp knives to kill?
    Expensive door stop

    --
    "Who says nothing is impossible? Some people do it every day!" - Alfred E. Neuman
  10. I take it you haven't seen... by jamesh · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... Robocop then.

  11. Robots? Pfff by Francis85 · · Score: 2, Funny

    How about sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads?

    Now that would be awesome!

    Mutated, ill tempered sea bass would do if we can't get the sharks though.

  12. Break in scenario by markov_chain · · Score: 2, Funny

    Robot: You have 20 seconds to drop your guns. 20... 19... 18...
    Burglar: drops gun.
    Robot: 17... 16... 15...

    --
    Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
  13. Doesn't shed or sleep on the sofa but by trailerparkcassanova · · Score: 2, Funny

    does the four-legged one hump your leg?