This robot babysits your kids while you shop

Reuben Lee | Mar 26, 2008

While having a robot babysitter to keep watch on the kids may not sound reassuring to most parents, a department store in Japan apparently thinks otherwise.

Japanese retailer Aeon Co. has recently introduced a robot in one of its Fukuoka outlets to help entertain the kids while the parents shop at the store. Measuring 1.4m tall and dressed in a bright yellow-and-white outfit, the babysitter bot can identify each kid through the special badge he or she wears, and even conduct simple conversations with the tykes. Designed by robot-maker Tmsuk, it comes with a projector in one eye and a camera in the other.

Aeon and Tmsuk did not announce any plans to introduce more robot babysitters in other stores, but revealed that the technology will be developed for other applications such as a shopping guide robot to help customers navigate through the store.

Via Physorg
Photo credit: Engadget

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