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House-Sitting Robot Hits Store Shelves in Japan
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."
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.
> 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
Buy Lego Mindstorm and AK-47 then make your own "killer app" :D
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.