Now and again in the UK you'll see TV programmes which show robots doing little handy household chores. The premise is that very soon these distant relations of Robocop will be sold on your nearest high street though in reality the consensus is that such a product is generations away.
However in Japan the Government there is giant steps ahead. They're
ploughing in a whole lot of effort when it comes to manufacturing
androids as the population continues to age and shrink. It is hoped that these androids will be able to be smart enough to improve productivity and support the entire nation's lifestyle in due time, which means there is a pressing need for better human-robot interactions.
Researchers based at Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) have successfully developed an autonomous humanoid robot which is claimed to be able to recognize and use body language in order to get the message across to its human masters.
Instead of relying on just spoken communication, the robot's body language will definitely go a long way in simplifying communication with people who find it difficult to interact with robots, including children and the elderly who more often than not have a phobia concerning the latest technology.
The learning capacity of this robot has yet to be determined, but it certainly is a big step when the day comes where robots will be able to learn how to dance or even give a high five after it's master announces some spot of good news at home.
So it seems having your own personal robot is closer than we think? Time to start coming up with names!
