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Panasonic To Unveil New Helper Robots
cylonlover writes "With the aging of populations in many countries around the world, particularly Japan, there are ever increasing numbers of elderly to care for, but relatively fewer younger people to do the job. Robots have long been seen as a means of filling the gap and Panasonic is set to unveil its latest technology designed to do just that. The three robotic devices set to make their debut at the upcoming 38th International Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition (H.C.R.2011) in Tokyo include a communication assistance robot and new models of the company's Hair-Washing Robot and RoboticBed."
Are there stairs in your house?
Woman 2.0
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
How come I immediately thought about "helper monkeys" instead of robot apocalypse?
But it is an amazing idea. Soon, old people, and fat people, and fat old people can just roll from one piece of furniture to another, which will roll them up to the next piece of furniture...
It doesn't seem to have the right kind of wheels to be as amazing as an iBOT, but if they can lick that then they'll really change the world, for both better and worse.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
To clean my house while I'm away.
Odd, where's all my stuff and why is the bot sporting a tattoo and gold chains?
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
"Panasonic has updated this latest model to feature washing arms with more fingers - 24 up from 16 - and improved mechanics"
Perhaps there are other markets for these robots.
I eat only the real part of complex carbohydrates.
Looks like Otomo was right on the money _
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roujin_Z
BTW: this is an excellent anime film.
If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
seems to be on track.
Now we need them crazy giant robots and super-powered teenange girls in school uniform.
I'd be a little wary about putting my head in that thing...maybe it would be more helpful if it too had a display with a smiley face on it.
Just the news I wanted to hear less than a week after watching Robotropolis.
(Which sucked, by the way.)
Each problem only needs to be solved once.
Well developed and highly polished robots now include:
warehouse robots
assembly line robots
messenger robots
pool-cleaning robots
lawn-mowing robots
floor-cleaning robots.
Now we can add to that list hair-washing and people-carrying.
Well along the path to easy commercial availability are also fighting robots and pack robots.
The singularity is coming. Slowly, slowly but It's only a matter of time.
I just need a robot to zap my kids when they don't listen!
-- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
Humanoid Electric Lab Partner Robot
I hate to let the cat out of the bag, but for for those young'uns who might not get this decade-old meme...
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/33440
Slashdot: come for the pedantry, stay for the condescension.
Someone needs to make a film similar to Pirana 3D, but with robots... Just totally over the top, cheezy gore, with all manner of evil robot goings on. Imagine the scene with the robot hair washer... Or the robot bed... Ouch!
We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
The hairdresser robot was apparently caught playing with another hairdresser robot's power socket, a sort of groinal attachment like the Kryten android from Red Dwarf. The company is looking into this behavior to see if it actually improves performance.
here are ever increasing numbers of elderly to care for, but relatively fewer younger people to do the job
I think you mean fewer younger people *willing* to do the job... There is clearly no shortage of unemployed youth in almost every market in the world.
Or does anyone else think that the HOSPI robot look like it deserves a smack in the mouth?
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it