Japan's Elderly Nix Robot Helpers

Posted by Soulskill on Friday February 4, 2011 @06:14AM from the sowing-seeds-of-distrust-for-the-inevitable-uprising dept.

SteeldrivingJon writes with this quote from a story at the BBC: "In Japan, robots are friendly helpers, not Terminators. So when they join the workforce, as they do often in factories, they are sometimes welcomed on their first day with Shinto religious ceremonies. But whether the sick and elderly will be as welcoming to robot-like tech in their homes is a question that now vexes a Japanese care industry that is struggling with a massive manpower shortage. Automated help in the home and hospitals, believe some, could be the answer. A rapidly aging first world is also paying close attention to Japan's dalliance with automated care. ... The country's biggest robot maker, Tmsuk, created a life-like one-meter tall robot six years ago, but has struggled to find interested clients. Costing a cool $100,000 a piece, a rental program was scrapped recently because of 'failing to meet demands of consumers' and putting off patients at hospitals. 'We want humans caring for us, not machines,' was one response."

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In the US by Anonymous Coward · 2011-02-04 07:10 · Score: -1, Troll

If this were in the US, our president Obama would know how to handle this. He would make it a requirement that every citizen will pay $700 per month for robot care, or they would be sent to prison. His croneys in congress would vote in the bill, without ever bothering to read any of it. When it is discovered to be unconstitutional, he would proceed with implementing anyway. And his friends in the unions would be allowed to opt out if they want. The press would applaud him for his wonderous plan, while they ponder why a large number of small businesses are shutting down with complaints of too many taxes. "It's not a tax," they explain, so it isn't a problem, because we love Obama Robot Care.
Yea Obama!