Wanted: new receptionist. Must have wheels, sensors and face-recognition technology.
Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said on Thursday that it had started renting out its “wakamaru” robots to work at the front desk of offices, hospitals and other places in need of the humanoid touch.
The robot, which is 1m tall and weighs 30kg, is available to rent for a mere 120Â 000 yen ($1 000) a day for up to five days, although the daily price drops to 20Â 000 yen for three weeks to a month.
The bright yellow robot recognises about 10Â 000 words necessary for daily life and can speak basic sentences and move around on its own at 1mk/h, avoiding any obstacles in its path. It is unlikely to call in sick.
Mitsubishi already put the robot on sale in 2005 with a 1,575-million yen ($13Â 000) price tag, and they have been used at dozens of events, including the 2005 World Expo in central Japan.
Japan leads the world’s robotic industries in fields ranging from manufacturing to entertainment and security. Robot use is expected to grow as Japan grapples with labour shortages due to an ageing and shrinking population.
Last October a Japanese hospital introduced a trio of robots produced by another company to work as a receptionist and porters. — AFP